Aloe vera integrated ZnO/SWCNT/Ag nanocomposites for accelerated wound repair and scar reduction

Abstract

For centuries, natural extracts such as Aloe vera have been used in wound care due to their soothing, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties. However, their clinical efficacy can be limited by instability, low bioavailability, and restricted antimicrobial potency. Nanotechnology offers promising strategies to enhance and complement the therapeutic benefits of herbal extracts. In this study, we investigated the wound-healing potential of Aloe vera gel combined with ZnO/SWCNT/Ag (zinc oxide-single-walled carbon nanotubes-silver nanoparticles) nanocomposite. Forty full-thickness excisional wounds (15 mm) were created on the dorsum of 20 Sprague Dawley rats and divided into four treatment groups: ZnO/SWCNT/Ag alone (1 mg/mL), Aloe vera gel (30 mg/mL), the combination of Aloe vera gel with the NPs, and control (saline 0.9%). Wound areas were tracked at days 0, 3, 10, 15, and 21 using calibrated imaging, and skin samples were harvested for histopathological analysis. The ZnO/SWCNT/Ag nanocomposite alone accelerated wound closure compared to Aloe vera and saline control, while combining Aloe vera with the nanocomposite improved wound healing compared to Aloe vera alone at day 10 (p < 0.05). Although wound closure was similar across all groups by day 21, nanoparticle-treated wounds showed less variability and more uniform healing. Scar area analysis revealed significant reductions for ZnO/SWCNT/Ag based treatment and the combination compared to Aloe vera (p < 0.05), whereas differences versus saline control were not statistically significant. Additionally, the formulations demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and enhanced antioxidant properties. These findings suggest that ZnO/SWCNT/Ag nanoparticles may serve as a supportive platform to enhance the wound-healing behaviour of Aloe vera.