Therapeutic activity of chlorhexidine-poloxamer antiseptic gel on wound healing in rats: a preclinical study.

Despite the progress in curative and preventive medicine, skin lesions after injuries or surgical interventions are still a big problem. The aim of wound care is to get damaged tissues to heal as soon as possible. A gel-forming material helps to maintain proper humidity in the wound and promotes the healing process. For this purpose, a healing gel containing the active substance chlorhexidine based on poloxamer was prepared. The aim of this study was to assess in vivo the therapeutic efficacy of chlorhexidine-poloxamer gel in treatment of wounds caused experimentally and inoculated with bacteria, and the effect of an antiseptic gel applied on a healthy rat skin. Wistar albino rats were selected for these studies. The effect of an antiseptic gel on the healing excision and incision wounds, as well as the irritating effect on the healthy skin were assessed. Cross-sectional full-thickness specimens from each group were collected at the end of the experiment to assess the histopathological alterations. Chlorhexidine-poloxamer gels accelerate the healing of infected skin wounds because the active ingredient chlorhexidine remains at the application site, and systemic effects are avoided. Moreover, chlorhexidine-poloxamer gels are easy to use because they can be easily washed off from the wound surface by water. The present study has revealed that chlorhexidine-poloxamer gels promote healing of full-thickness skin wounds without skin irritation. This makes it possible to plan further clinical trials in the target species.

Propolis oil extract: quality analysis and evaluation of its antimicrobial activity.

Designing propolis products for external use involves determining the optimal form of propolis for the introduction into dermatological pharmaceuticals and cosmetic preparations. As a potent ingredient, propolis oil extract from raw material harvested in Lithuania was analysed. The rheological characteristics, content of phenolic compounds, major compounds and antimicrobial activity of the propolis oil extract are investigated here for the first time. The propolis oil extract was produced by maceration using different solvents, raw material was collected in Lithuania. Solvent mixture with 96% ethanol increased the rheological stability and extracted amount of phenolic compound. High-performance liquid chromatography identified the potent quality markers for Lithuanian propolis, phenylpropanoid vanillin, coumaric acid and ferulic acid. Antimicrobial activity of propolis oil extract was evaluated in experimental studies in vitro, and the minimal concentration of phenolic compounds that inhibited respective microorganisms was determined. The results demonstrate that phenolic compounds have effective antimicrobial activity in propolis oil extract; thus, it can be compatible with the semisolid preparation.

[Selection of an extraction agent and development of the technology for producing an extract with sedative effects]. / Výber vyluhovadla a vypracování technologie výroby extraktu s uklidnujícím úcinkem.

The drugs Valerinae radix, Crataegi fructus, Leonuri herba and Melissae folium were used to produce a liquid plant extract. The experiment revealed that the extraction with 70% ethanol achieved the highest concentration of extractable active principles. The optimal conditions for obtaining a sedative extract are established when the method of repercolation is used, and in the production itself the batch of the drug is divided into equally large doses and a pre-prepared mixture of plant drugs is extracted. The extract prepared by this manner remains stable for the whole period of storage, i.e., 24 months.