FABRICATION AND IN-VITRO CHARACTERIZATION OF RESVERATROL ENCAPSULATED POROUS BIOMIMETIC SKIN GRAFT FOR BURN TREATMENT

Vikash Kumar, Rajeev Ranjan, Dharmendra Kumar*

Introduction: Repair of deep third-degree burn wounds depends largely on effective skin cell proliferation and regeneration. In the present study, an antioxidant-incorporated biomimetic composite graft was developed and evaluated as a novel biomaterial for burn wound management. The fabrication of a resveratrol-encapsulated porous biomimetic skin graft offers a novel therapeutic strategy for effective burn wound management. Severe burns often involve excessive inflammation, oxidative stress, and delayed tissue regeneration, which can compromise healing outcomes. Methods: The resveratrol-loaded composite graft (gel–drug–PMS) was optimized at different resveratrol concentrations (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL) and characterized for physicochemical, and in vitro performance. Morphological evaluation was carried out using scanning electron microscopy, while cytomodulin coupling efficiency was quantified using the NanoOrange® assay. Thermal stability was assessed by micro-shrinkage temperature analysis using hot-stage microscopy. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Fluid uptake capacity was determined in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4, and in vitro drug release, and degradation studies were performed. Results: The optimized formulation contained 10 mg/mL resveratrol, producing nanoparticles with a mean size of 602.5 nm (PDI 0.564). Discussion: The composite graft was stable at physiological temperature (37°C), retained significant antioxidant activity (SC₅₀ = 6.8 μg/mL), absorbed approximately 50% of its weight in fluid, exhibited interconnected porous morphology, and achieved 83% cytomodulin coupling. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the developed biomimetic composite graft is a promising therapeutic approach for deep burn wound healing.