# Rifampicin-Loaded PLGA/Alginate-Grafted pNVCL-Based Nanoparticles for Wound Healing
###### Abstract  
The topical therapy with rifampicin (RF)-based formulations is beneficial for treating postoperative wound infections and to accelerate healing. Despite recent research highlighting the antibiotic's significant anti-inflammatory properties, limited topical wound healing products are currently available. The present study aimed to prove that the newly synthesized nanoparticles based on grafted alginate and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (pNVCL) and poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) contribute to the healing process of a wound. The methods used were at first the synthesis of the copolymer of alginate and pNVCL via grafting from technique and radical polymerization followed by water-in-oil-in water (W/O/W) emulsification; as oil phase PLGA dissolved in dichloromethane (DCM) was used. The formed nanoparticles were than characterized. The loaded RF was determined to be 160 ug/mL for a 20 mg formulation and within a four-hour time frame approximately 10% of the total loaded amount was released. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were 192.1 ug/mL for the nanoparticle, 208.8 ug/mL for pure rifampicin, and 718.1 ug/mL for the rifampicin-loaded nanoparticles. Considering the double role rifampicin was used for, the result was considered satisfactory in the way that these formulations could be used predominantly for postoperative wound irrigation in order to avoid infections and to improve healing. alginate; NVCL; nanoparticle; rifampicin; IC50; wound healing 20 October 2024 23 Octobernecessary for tissue regeneration. At the same time, they must have good mechanical and physical properties to ensure durability. Most postoperative wounds heal within an estimated time frame. The healing process is carried out in overlapping stages of hemostasis, inflammation, granulation, and epithelialization [2]. This process can be accelerated by applying pharmaceutical products recommended for improving healing, disinfection, and skin regeneration. There is a series of biocompatible and biodegradable biopolymers such as hyaluronic acid (HA), alginate (AgA), chitosan (Cs), collagen (Col), and silk fibroin (SF) which can help healing wounds faster. This is due to their similarity to macromolecules easily recognized by the human body. In the literature, several studies are based on developing new materials for wound repair, such as hydrogel dressings, gelatin sponges, bioactive glass, etc. Most of these studies based on biopolymers present a series of limitations and as a result, few products obtained from natural polymers have reached the stage of exploitation. That is why finding strategies to combine biopolymers would be of particular interest for wound healing. Naturally sourced biopolymers, which are biological macromolecules metabolized within the body, unlike synthetic polymers, do not cause chronic inflammatory or immunological reactions or toxicity due to their similarity to the extracellular matrix. A proper modification of structure or processing conditions towards functional biopolymers can alleviate some of their drawback such as poor solubility, lower producibility, poor mechanical properties, etc., but highlighting their advantages over synthetic polymers, including a well-defined and more intricate structure, biocompatibility, functionality, degradability, and renewability [3; 4]. Among the biopolymers, alginic acid, a polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds, with distinct physical properties that make it valuable as a rheology modifier in various applications such as food products, paper consumables, printing inks, and biomaterials for medical and pharmaceutical preparations [5; 6; 7; 8; 9]. According to this research, sodium alginate can help treat wounds more effectively and reduce pain and inflammation. Sodium alginate is a polysaccharide formed by \(\alpha\)-L-Mannuronic acid (M unit) and \(\beta\)-D-Guluronic acid (G unit) connected through a 1,4-glucosidic bond. This units are arranged irregularly as MM, GM/MG, and GG regions.