Formulation and Evaluation of Nanosilver Loaded Silk Fibroin Topical Gel

Abstract

The skin is providing barrier to the outside protecting the body from infection, radiation, and extremes of temperature.

There are various types of wounds which can damage the skin including abrasions, lacerations, rupture injuries, punctures, and penetrating wounds.

Many of the wounds are superficial requiring local first aid including cleansing and dressing.

But some wounds are deeper and need medical attention to prevent infection and loss of function, due to damage to underlying structures like bone, muscle, tendon, arteries and nerves.

The purpose of medical care for wounds is to prevent complications and function. While important, cosmetic results are not the primary consideration for wound repair.

Wound healing, a common clinical entity contemporary to human beings, most often susceptible to microbial infection. The ultimate goal for wound healing is a speedy recovery with minimal scarring and maximal function.

Different approaches such as use of antimicrobials and cell growth promoting agents have been used for achieving the set goal. Silk fibroin, a cell growth promoter has been used as wound healing agent.

Out of the present antimicrobial agents silver nanoparticles exhibit broad spectrum of anti-microbial activity. The mono dispersed silver nanoparticles with narrow particle size distribution are more effective anti bacterial agents, because of high surface/volume fraction, so that large populations of silver atoms are in direct contact with the environment. Silver Nanoparticles are non toxic to human cell to the tune of 350µg/day.