Formulation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Silver Nanoparticle-loaded Thermosensitive Poloxamer Gel for Acute Wound Healing

Background: Wound healing is a dynamic, multistage biological process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Despite advances in wound care, effective management of acute wounds remains a challenge. Medicinal plants such as Curcuma longa, Morinda citrifolia, Tridax procumbens, and Lantana camara possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support tissue repair. Objectives: This study aimed to enhance wound healing efficacy by synthesizing polyherbal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and incorporating them into a thermosensitive gel system. Materials and Methods: Polyherbal extracts were prepared using steam distillation followed by maceration and evaluated for phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity. AgNPs were synthesized using the herbal extracts and silver nitrate. The AgNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, particle size analysis, and zeta potential measurement. A thermosensitive gel was formulated using Poloxamer 407 and loaded with varying concentrations of polyherbal AgNPs. Physicochemical properties were evaluated. In vitro wound healing activity was assessed using C2C12 murine myoblast cell lines, while in vivo efficacy was evaluated using an excision wound model in male Wistar albino rats. Results: The optimized AgNP formulation exhibited a mean particle size of 111.27 ± 3.36 nm and a zeta potential of −11.13 ± 0.8 mV, indicating moderate stability. The AgNP-loaded gels showed acceptable physicochemical properties. In vitro studies demonstrated concentration-dependent enhancement of cell migration, with the 10% AgNP-loaded gel showing the highest wound closure. In vivo studies revealed that the 10% polyherbal AgNP-loaded gel achieved 95.18% wound contraction within 15 days, significantly outperforming other formulations. Conclusion: A polyherbal AgNP-loaded thermosensitive gel significantly enhanced wound healing in vitro and in vivo, highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutic approach for acute wound management.