Sains Malaysiana 50(3)(2021): 839-847

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5003-24

Influence of the Oil Phase on the Wound Healing Activity of Sea Cucumber Extract-Based Cream Formulations

(Pengaruh Fasa Minyak pada Aktiviti Penyembuhan Luka oleh Formulasi Krim yang Berasaskan Ekstrak Timun Laut)

THIVIYA SUNMUGAM, HANISAH AZHARI, NG SHIOW-FERN & FAZREN AZMI*

Centre for Drug Delivery Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

Received: 17 June 2020/Accepted: 16 August 2020

ABSTRACT

Sea cucumbers are attractive marine natural sources as they are enriched with functional biomaterials that can contribute in accelerating wound healing. The present study was carried out to prepare cream formulations comprising extract of sea cucumber with different type of oil phase, namely F1 (olive oil), F2 (tea tree oil) and F3 (lemongrass oil) to assess the influence of the oil on the physicochemical properties and the wound healing efficacy of the creams. The formulated creams showed satisfactory physicochemical characteristics such as homogeneity, spreadability, rheology, pH, and showed no evidence of phase separation even when the creams were kept at extreme conditions. The ex vivo release profile of sea cucumber extract from the formulated creams was determined by using a Franz diffusion cells. F3 demonstrated a constant and yield the highest release percentage of sea cucumber extract, followed by F2 and F1. Topical application of the formulated creams on the excision wound in rats showed a significant wound healing efficacy compared to the control group. Among the creams formulation, F1 demonstrated a significantly higher rate of wound closure compared to F2, F3, and positive control. The wound healing efficacy of the formulated creams were not dependent on the ability of the oils in promoting skin permeation for the release of sea cucumber extract. This study depicted that lemongrass oil acted as a good skin permeation enhancer for the release of sea cucumber extract while olive oil worked in a more synergistic manner with sea cucumber extract in promoting wound healing.

Keywords: Oil phase; permeation enhancer; sea cucumber extract; wound healing

ABSTRAK

Timun laut adalah sumber semula jadi laut yang menarik kerana ia diperkaya dengan biobahan yang mampu berfungsi untuk merangsang proses penyembuhan luka. Kajian yang dijalankan merangkumi formulasi krim yang mengandungi ekstrak timun laut dengan pelbagai jenis fasa minyak, iaitu FI (minyak zaitun), F2 (minyak pohon teh)
dan F3 (minyak serai) untuk mengkaji pengaruh jenis minyak pada sifat fizikokimia dan keberkesanan penyembuhan luka. Kesemua krim yang diformulasikan menunjukkan ciri-ciri fizikokimia yang memuaskan seperti             kehomogenan, daya sebaran, reologi, pH dan tidak menunjukkan bukti pemisahan fasa walaupun krim disimpan dalam keadaan suhu yang melampau. Profil pelepasan ex vivo ekstrak timun laut daripada krim yang dirumuskan telah dinilai menggunakan sel resapan Franz. F3 menunjukkan kadar pelepasan ekstrak timun laut yang sekata dan perstusan tertinggi, diikuti oleh F2 dan F1. Aplikasi kesemua krim secara topikal pada pemotongan luka menunjukkan keberkesanan penyembuhan luka yang signifikan berbanding kumpulan kawalan. Di antara krim yang dirumus, F1 menunjukkan kadar penyembuhan luka yang lebih tinggi berbanding F2, F3 dan kawalan positif. Keberkesanan penyembuhan luka daripada krim yang dirumuskan tidak bergantung pada kemampuan minyak dalam mempromosikan permeasi kulit untuk pembebasan ekstrak timun laut. Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa minyak serai bertindak sebagai agen permeasi kulit yang berkesan untuk pembebasan ekstrak timun laut sementara minyak zaitun berfungsi dengan cara yang lebih sinergistik dengan ekstrak timun laut dalam merangsang penyembuhan luka.

Kata kunci: Agen permeasi; ekstrak timun laut; fasa minyak; penyembuhan luka

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*Corresponding author; email: mfazren.azmi@ukm.edu.my