Can Carotenoid Encapsulated Hydrogel Be a Promising Medium for Repairing Skin Damage

Purpose

Ultraviolet-induced skin damage is very frequent due to the severe climatic change taking place globally. Treatment of skin damage using bioactive is the sought remedy where the molecule in question is being encapsulated in a synthetic polymeric material. It has been observed that such fabrication leads to a toxic impact on the skin with time. To overcome the limitation, biopolymer-derived material has been used for encapsulating compounds to treat various skin damages caused due to ultraviolet irradiation. The main purpose of this review is to update topical delivery systems using carotenoids as the bioactive compound.

Methods

Various articles based on carotenoids and their numerous health and photo-protective effects were screened and chosen for this review. Previous reports on hydrogel-based delivery systems of carotenoids have been included.

Results

Various reports showed that the application of carotenoids in hydrogel delivery can prevent carotenoid degradation. However, ensuring long-lasting stability could be a big challenge. Advanced hydrogel technology, such as stimuli-responsive hydrogel, was developed for the carotenoid delivery system, thus resulting in the controlled, prolonged, and sustained release of the carotenoid. 3D and 4D bioprinting emerged as recent techniques for developing stimuli-responsive hydrogel due to their stretchability, biocompatibility, ultra-flexibility, and printability properties. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels could act as sensors while providing real-time biotherapeutic and antioxidant properties to treat skin damage.

Conclusion

The perspective of this review is to highlight the stimuli-responsive hydrogel, 3D and 4D bioprinting hydrogel, and their responsive behavior in skin damage treatment. It also highlights the role of carotenoids in skin repair.

Lay Summary

ROS induced by UV radiation has become primarily responsible for various skin diseases. Antioxidants have been known to protect ROS-mediated damage by scavenging reactive molecules. Carotenoid pigment has been reported to protect skin from damaging effect of ROS. High susceptibility of carotenoid degradation to various external factors has led to development of hydrogel-based delivery system for topical application. However, reports on delivery of carotenoids by stimuli-responsive hydrogel are limited. In this review, the potential treatment of skin damage by stimuli-responsive hydrogel has been discussed. The update on the recent concept 3D and 4D bioprinting hydrogel has also been provided.

Future Works

Biopolymer-derived hydrogel will be prepared and preliminary screening and characterization will be done to select the best hydrogel formulation for carotenoid encapsulation. The functioning of the formulated hydrogel containing carotenoid will be further studied through in vitro release study and in vitro degradation study. Bioactivity of formulated hydrogel will be studied by performing antioxidant assay. To explore the stimuli-responsive behavior, formulated hydrogel will be exposed to different mediums (pH, temperature, and salt). The stimuli-sensing ability of formulated hydrogel may be enhanced by fabrication of hydrogel with different stimuli-responsive agents to achieve targeted delivery of carotenoid.

Graphical Abstract

The development of stimuli-responsive carotenoid–loaded hydrogel and its application in skin damage is illustrated in graphical abstract. Encapsulation of carotenoids in hydrogel has several advantages from preventing degradation to exhibiting antioxidant activity. Development of smart-stimuli responsive hydrogel through using various methods could be an ideal system for carotenoids due to its biocompatible nature which will allow real-time monitoring of wound healing capacity.