Chitosan/Heparin Complex As Efficient Strategy to Enhance Diabetic Wound Healing

Desoky, Basant Sayed; Abdel-Ghaffar, Abdel-Rahman B; Seoudi, Dina M.; Singab, Abdel Nasser Badawi

doi:10.21608/ejaps.2025.324838.1110

Chitosan/Heparin Complex As Efficient Strategy to Enhance Diabetic Wound Healing

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain shams University Cairo, Egypt.

² Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/ejaps.2025.324838.1110

Abstract

Diabetic wound healing is prevented by hyperglycemia and its complications, including impaired tissue repair and inflammatory response. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a critical role in these complications, increasing oxidative stress and tissue damage. Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, has shown potential in reducing AGEs and promoting tissue repair. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of high viscous ointment of water soluble chitosan (WSC)/Heparin complex in enhancing wound healing in rat model.Diabetic wounds were induced in a streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rat model. Rats were assigned to control, heparin, WSC, and WSC/heparin complex treatment groups. Blood glucose, liver enzymes, kidney markers,collagen, elastin, TGF-β, and PDGF levels were measured. Wound healing was assessed on days 5, 10, and 14, with histological evaluation for tissue morphology. Our results revealed that both natural and diabetic wound were associated with significant (P<0.05) elevated RBG levels, liver enzymes activities, creatinine and urea levels, and collagen, elastin and TGF-β levels. In contrast, they were related to reduce albumin and PDGF levels. Distinctly, DM induction was related to significant (P<0.05) elevated RBG, creatinine, urea collagen, elastin and TGF-β levels and reduced PDGF levels. This suggested the great impact of DM on inflammatory and wound healing associated parameters. In conclusion, these results showed that WSC/heparin complex effectively attenuated liver and kidney damage, enhanced growth factors production, decreasing inflammatory infiltrate amount, induced great wound recovery and improved morphology of diabetic wound tissues. Thus, this formula might represent a promising strategy to accelerate the healing of diabetic wound.

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