Novel alginate/aloe vera hydrogel blends as wound dressings for the treatment of several types of wounds

Currently, there is a significant increase in the use of natural materials for biomedical applications, mainly due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and similar properties to the constituents of natural tissues. In this work, hydrogel films composed of alginate and Aloe vera gel were prepared and characterized for application in the treatment of several types of wounds (e.g. exuding, painful and dry). The films were prepared through a two-step procedure encompassing the film formation by a solvent-casting method and an additional crosslinking step to improve their properties. The physical, morphological and water absorption properties were characterized by introducing several variations in the Aloe vera content. The in vitro degradation behaviour of the films was investigated in the presence of the enzyme alginate lyase for 2 weeks. Results showed that Aloe vera improves the water absorption and the in vitro degradation rate of the films. In conclusion, this study indicates that the alginate/Aloe vera hydrogel films can be potentially explored as wound dressing for the treatment of different wound types. Copyright ?? 2013, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l