Semi-solid poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels containing ginger essential oil encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles for use in wound management

Encapsulation of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) essential oil (GEO) in different amounts (i.e. 1%, 3%, and 5% v/v) within chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) was studied. It was done by a two-step method: oil in water emulsion (O/W) and ionic gelation using sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) as the crosslinking agent. GEO-loaded CNPs appeared to be more aggregated with an increase in the GEO content. An increase in the GEO content caused %encapsulation efficiency (EE) to decrease, whereas %loading capacity (LC) to increase. Semi-solid PVA hydrogels containing different amounts (i.e. 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% w/v) of the GEO-loaded CNPs were prepared and characterized for their mechanical properties, water content, and release characteristics. Hardness, compressibility, and water content of the as-prepared hydrogels decreased with an increase in the amount of the GEO-loaded CNPs, while the amount of GEO released from the hydrogels was found to increase. Notwithstanding, incorporation of GEO-loaded CNPs in the hydrogels sustained the release of GEO. As these semi-solid hydrogels appeared to be non-toxic to both NCTC clone 929 and NHDF cells, they showed some potential as a topical wound management material.