Fátima García-Villén, Iane M.S. Souza, Raquel de Melo Barbosa, Ana Borrego-Sánchez, Rita Sánchez-Espejo, Santiago Ojeda-Riascos and César V. Iborra* Pages 621 - 641 ( 21 )
Background: One of the major clinical challenges is to achieve a rapid and efficient treatment of complex chronic wounds. Nowadays, most wound dressings currently available are unable to find a solution to the challenges of resistance to bacterial infection, protein adsorption and increased levels of exudates. Natural inorganic ingredients (clay minerals, metal cations, zeolites, etc.) could be the key to solve the problem satisfactorily. Some of these materials have shown biocompatibility and ability to enhance cell adhesion, proliferation and cellular differentiation and uptake. Besides, some natural inorganic ingredients effectively retain drugs, allowing the design of drug delivery matrices.
Objective: Possibilities of natural inorganic ingredients in wound healing treatments have been reviewed, the following sections have been included:
1. Introduction
2. Functions of Inorganic Ingredients in wound healing
2.1. Antimicrobial effects
2.2. Hemostatic effects
3. Clay minerals for wound healing
3.1. Clay minerals
3.2. Clay mineral semisolid formulations
3.3. Clay/polymer composites and nanocomposites
3.4. Clay minerals in wound dressings
4. Other inorganic materials for wound healing
4.1. Zeolites
4.2. Silica and other silicates
4.3. Other minerals
4.4. Transition metals
5. Conclusion
Conclusion: Inorganic ingredients possess useful features for the development of chronic wounds advanced treatments. They improve physical (mechanical resistance and water vapor transmission), chemical (release of drugs, hemostasis and/or adsorption of exudates and moisture) and biological (antimicrobial effects and improvement of healing) properties of wound dressings. In summary, inorganic ingredients have proved to be a promising and easily accessible products in the treatment of wounds and, more importantly, chronic wounds.
Skin, wound healing, antimicrobial, inorganic excipients, clay minerals, zeolites, transition metals.
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Laboratory of Drug Development, Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Granada, Granada