Dual effect of silk fibroin hydrogels with curcumin-STS micelles for enhanced wound healing and anti-inflammation

Abstract

The development of multifunctional wound dressings is essential for advancing wound healing therapeutics. This study incorporated curcumin (CUR), recognized for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, into silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels using sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) micelles to enhance drug solubility and bioavailability. The STS-CUR micelles exhibited spherical morphology with an average diameter of approximately 200 nm and were successfully integrated into SF hydrogels, demonstrating rapid gelation kinetics and minimal cytotoxicity. Both curcumin-loaded and STS-only control hydrogels demonstrated excellent stability and injectability through standard syringes without phase separation. Rheological characterization revealed increased viscosity from 21.99 to 22.81 Pa·s upon curcumin incorporation, with both formulations exhibiting shear-thinning and thixotropic behaviour with recovery rates exceeding 95 %. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed molecular interactions between components during micelle formation and hydrogel assembly. In vitro studies demonstrated excellent cell viability with significantly enhanced cell migration and substantial downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12). In vivo evaluation using a full-thickness wound mouse model demonstrated accelerated wound healing with wound closure exceeding 50 % within three days. These findings establish the therapeutic potential of curcumin-loaded silk fibroin hydrogels as effective, injectable wound dressings.