EVALUATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A PVA-DURIAN HULL GUM WOUND DRESSING CONTAINING CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT (ECA233)

Abstract

Durian hull gum (DG) is isolated from the fruit-hulls of durian (Durio zibethinus), a biproduct of the food industry. DG has antibacterial properties, and can be used as an effective film-forming agent in the preparation of film-based wound dressings. Centella asiatica is a medicinal herb that has been used in Asia for over-two thousand years, however, the development of dosage forms has been limited. In this study we present the development and formulation of a wound dressing that contains a Centella asiatica extract (ECa233), produced by a film casting method using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) 8% w/v as a polymer base combined with DG in various ratios (0.5%,1%, 3%). Each formulation was evaluated for its physical and chemical characteristics. Our results demonstrate that PVA supplemented with DG 3.0% w/v provided the best swelling capacity. Combination of PVA with DG at a ratio of 8.0:1.0% w/v resulted in the highest tensile strength. Increased concentration of DG, resulted in increased Young’s modulus, a measure of material stiffness, but decreased the % elongation at the materials breaking point. The study also found that PVA combined with DG resulted in higher levels of controlled release, and dressing swelling capacity than the control (PVA alone).