Russian scientists from the Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics (Russian academy of sciences) currently work on a new type of healing substances, based upon copper nanoparticles. The innovation has already got a patent in Russian Federation.

Copper is one of microelements, which deficiency makes wounds heal longer. Nanoparticles of copper, known to have high reactivity and small size, contain metal in the crystal phase. All mentioned parameters help copper nanoparticles to be more active in living organisms, than traditional ionic forms of elements.

Researchers showed that metal nanoparticles vary in forms, sizes, composition and thickness of oxide film on particle’s surface, and content of metal crystal phase in particle’s nucleus. All mentioned parameters are important and affect biological activity of said particles. Russian chemical physicists synthesized copper nanoparticles, which varied in mentioned parameters and compared their biological activity.

The recipe for making new healing substance is following: take accurate weigh of copper nano-powder, put in into Vaseline oil and “mix” using sonication. Vaseline covers copper particles like a fur coat, protecting them from oxidation and interacting with each other. After that, add hydrogel of methyl cellulose into your mineral oil suspension – the wound-healing substance is ready. Wound-healing properties of mentioned substance were tested on laboratory mice. For that purpose, each mouse got a small cut on their back under ether anesthesia, and then the wound was oiled with copper nanoparticle-containing substance once a day. Control group of mice didn’t receive any copper-containing treatment.

 

 

Wounds, treated with hydrogel and Vaseline without copper nanoparticles, healed entirely within two weeks. Copper nanoparticle-containing substance was shown to shorten healing period. Healing effect was especially noticeable on the first healing day, when copper nanoparticles make a wound shrink significantly, in comparison to control wound. This result indicates how effective copper nanoparticles are in healing inflammations. Moreover, antibacterial properties of copper nanoparticles prevent a wound from being infected for the second time.

Wound-healing properties of copper nanoparticles depend on physic-chemical properties of these particles. Most active copper nanoparticles have diameter of 119 nanometers and contain about 0.5% of crystal copper or 103 nanometers and 96% of crystal copper. Applying this substance to a wound makes it shrink nearly twice during first day, compared to control, and healing time was two days less than without the substance. Obtained results led scientists to a conclusion that most important parameters for successful and fast wound healing were size and composition of metal nanoparticles. Creating nanoparticles with given parameters will help finding optimal pattern for influencing biological processes.

Source: Science News

Kizilova Anna