{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T03:08:38Z","timestamp":1792120118889,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,27]],"date-time":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679875200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Researchers Supporting Project Number","award":["RSP 2023R301"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RSP 2023R301"]}]},{"name":"King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","award":["RSP 2023R301"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RSP 2023R301"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Wound healing faces significant challenges in clinical settings. It often contains a series of dynamic and complex physiological healing processes. Instead of creams, ointments and solutions, alternative treatment approaches are needed. The main objective of the study was to formulate bacitracin zinc-loaded topical patches as a new therapeutic agent for potential wound healing. A free radical polymerization technique was optimized for synthesis. Polyethylene glycol-8000 (PEG-8000) was chemically cross-linked with acrylic acid in aqueous medium, using Carbopol 934 as a permeation enhancer and tween 80 as surfactant. Ammonium persulfate and N,N\u2019-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) were utilized as initiator and cross-linker. FTIR, DSC, TGA, and SEM were performed, and patches were evaluated for swelling dynamics, sol-gel analysis, in vitro drug release in various media. A Franz diffusion cell was used for the permeation study. Irritation and wound healing with the drug-loaded patches were also studied. The characterization studies confirmed the formation of a cross-linked hydrogel network. The highest swelling and drug release were observed in formulations containing highest Polyethylene glycol-8000 and lowest N,N\u2019-Methylenebisacrylamide concentrations. The pH-sensitive behavior of patches was also confirmed as more swelling, drug release and drug permeation across skin were observed at pH 7.4. Fabricated patches showed no sign of irritation or erythema as evaluated by the Draize scale. Faster wound healing was also observed with fabricated patches compared to marketed formulations. Therefore, such a polymeric network can be a promising technology for speeding up wound healing and minor skin injuries through enhanced drug deposition.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym15071652","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,27]],"date-time":"2023-03-27T02:18:27Z","timestamp":1679883507000},"page":"1652","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Formulation and Characterization of Polymeric Cross-Linked Hydrogel Patches for Topical Delivery of Antibiotic for Healing Wound Infections"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Sana","family":"Afzal","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kashif","family":"Barkat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Muhammad Umer","family":"Ashraf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ikrima","family":"Khalid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yasir","family":"Mehmood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nisar Hussain","family":"Shah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Syed Faisal","family":"Badshah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Saba","family":"Naeem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5606-2719","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Saeed Ahmad","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan"},{"name":"Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5611-0378","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohsin","family":"Kazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1818","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1095833","article-title":"Drug delivery systems: Entering the mainstream","volume":"303","author":"Allen","year":"2004","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"269","DOI":"10.2165\/00128071-200001050-00002","article-title":"Advances in wound care and healing technology","volume":"1","author":"Natarajan","year":"2000","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-3083.2010.03775.x","article-title":"Management of minor acute cutaneous wounds: Importance of wound healing in a moist environment","volume":"25","author":"Korting","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Eur. Acad. Dermatol. 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