Cannabidiol/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex-loaded poly(vinyl alcohol) semi-solid hydrogels for potential use in wound management

Semi-solid poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-borax hydrogels containing a cannabidiol (CBD)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion complex were prepared and aimed for being used as wound management materials. The inclusion complex was prepared by the co-precipitation method and loaded within PVA semi-solid hydrogels which had various contents of CBD/β-CD inclusion complex (i.e., 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% w/w). The obtained inclusion complexes and their corresponding hydrogels were characterized for their physicochemical properties and mechanical properties. The potential use as wound management of the obtained hydrogels in terms of their release profile, antioxidant activities, antibacterial capabilities, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory efficacy. The CBD/β-CD inclusion complex was successfully prepared, as confirmed by FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, XRD, and SEM. The complexation efficiency was 84.73 ± 0.64% and the loading capacity was 32.70 ± 0.32%. The water solubility of CBD was significantly increased to 0.37, which was increased by 16-fold, as compared with that of raw CBD. The cumulatively released amount of CBD from the hydrogels increased with higher amounts of inclusion complex. The prepared hydrogels provided an antibacterial capability with S. aureus and MRSA , while no antibacterial capability was observed for E. coli. However, adding CBD to the hydrogel was beneficial for improving the antioxidant properties of the obtained hydrogels. All the hydrogels loaded with the CBD/β-CD inclusion complex at concentrations below 1.25 mg/mL for the extraction medium were non-cytotoxic towards RAW 264.7 cells and also provided the ability to suppress nitric oxide (NO) production by more than 75% compared with the LPS treated group. These findings suggest a new application for semi-solid PVA-borax hydrogels containing the CBD/β-CD inclusion complex in biomedical applications.