Development of Antioxidant-Active Sericin–Curcumin-Loaded Sodium Alginate/Polyvinyl Alcohol Films Crosslinked with Calcium Chloride as a Promising Wound Dressing Application

Abstract

Silk sericin (SS) and curcumin (Cur) possess significant antioxidant properties, making them highly beneficial for wound healing applications. This study aimed to develop SS–Cur-loaded sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol (SA/PVA) films crosslinked with calcium chloride, creating a biomaterial with enhanced stability and antioxidant properties. Wound dressings containing SS-Cur were fabricated by mixing SA and PVA at different ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6. The resulting films were then crosslinked with calcium chloride in an ethanol solution to enhance film integrity. These films were characterized using several techniques, revealing that the presence of ethanol in calcium chloride affected film properties, including the gel fraction, swelling, film thickness, and FTIR analysis. The presence of ethanol in calcium chloride revealed the highest drug content in the SA/PVA films. In vitro release studies demonstrated sustained release of SS-Cur from all formulations. Cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity tests showed that SS–Cur-loaded SA/PVA films with ethanol in calcium chloride increased cell viability and enhanced antioxidant effects in L929 cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the presence of ethanol in the crosslinking solution improved the functionality of SS–Cur-loaded SA/PVA films, making them promising candidates for wound healing and soft tissue regeneration.