Photo-Phytotherapeutic Gel Composed of Copaifera reticulata, Chlorophylls, and k- Carrageenan: A New Perspective for Topical Healing

• Published in: Pharmaceutics Vol. 14; no. 12; p. 2580
• Main Authors: Campanholi, Katieli da Silva Souza, da Silva Junior, Ranulfo Combuca, Gonçalves, Renato Sonchini, de Oliveira, Mariana Carla, Pozza, Magali Soares Dos Santos, Leite, Angela Tiago, da Silva, Leandro Herculano, Malacarne, Luis Carlos, Bruschi, Marcos Luciano, Castilha, Leandro Dalcin, Dos Santos, Tatiana Carlesso, Caetano, Wilker
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24-11-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Apoptosis; Bacteria; Biodiversity; carrageenan; chlorophylls; copaiba oil-resin; Costs; healing; Infections; Melanoma; Microorganisms; Pharmaceuticals; photodynamic therapy; Polymer blends; Public health; Rheology; Skin; wound; Brazil; United States > US; Germany; copaiba oil-resin; healing; chlorophylls; wound; carrageenan; photodynamic therapy
• ISSN: 1999-4923; 1999-4923
• DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122580

Chronic wound healing represents an impactful financial burden on healthcare systems. In this context, the use of natural products as an alternative therapy reduces costs and maintains effectiveness. Phytotherapeutic gels applied in photodynamic therapy (PDT) have been developed to act as topical healing medicines and antibiotics. The bioactive system is composed of
sp. (source of chlorophylls) and
oil microdroplets, both incorporated into a polymeric blend constituted by
carrageenan (
car) and F127 copolymer, constituting a system in which all components are bioactive agents. The flow behavior and viscoelasticity of the formulations were investigated. The photodynamic activity was accessed from studies of the inactivation of
bacteria, the main pathogen of hospital relevance. Furthermore, in vivo studies were conducted using eighteen rabbits with dermatitis (grade III and IV) in both paws. The gels showed significant antibiotic potential in vitro, eliminating up to 100% of
colonies in the presence or absence of light. The
car reduced 41% of the viable cells; however, its benefits were enhanced by adding chlorophyll and copaiba oil. The animals treated with the phytotherapeutic medicine showed a reduction in lesion size, with healing and re-epithelialization verified in the histological analyses. The animals submitted to PDT displayed noticeable improvement, indicating this therapy's viability for ulcerative and infected wounds. This behavior was not observed in the iodine control treatment, which worsened the animals' condition. Therefore, gel formulations were a viable alternative for future pharmaceutical applications, aiming at topical healing.