Journal of Supercritical Fluids, Vol.133, 503-511, 2018
Supercritical solvent impregnation/deposition of spilanthol-enriched extracts into a commercial collagen/cellulose-based wound dressing
A natural-based commercial wound dressing (Promogran.) was loaded with a spilanthol-enriched extract obtained from jambu (Spilanthes acmella) flowers using a supercritical solvent impregnation/deposition method (SSI/SSD). The applied SSI/SSD experimental conditions were selected based on equilibrium scCO(2) sorption experimental data. Equilibrium sorption degrees and CO2 desorption diffusion coefficients were calculated from desorption curves which were modelled using the analytical solution of Fick's second law. The SSI/SSD loading yield was evaluated at the highest equilibrium scCO(2) sorption degree with and without using ethanol as co-solvent. Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy analysis confirmed that all the components of the extract were loaded into the wound dressing, including spilanthol, which is well-known for its anesthetic/analgesic activity. Promogran samples loaded with jambu extract were also characterized for their morphological and physicochemical properties (hydrophobicity and water vapor permeability) and the obtained results allowed concluding that the process did not significantly affect the original properties of the wound dressing.
Keywords:scCO(2) sorption;scCO(2) impregnation/deposition;Jambu flowers extract;Promogran wound dressing