Composition of Sodium Alginate Films Containing Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Aqueous Extract of Turnera subulata Sm and Evaluation of Their Healing Potential In Vivo

Sodium alginate is used in wound care because of its hydrogel-forming properties and ability to protect the wound. Copper nanoparticles have properties that inhibit the growth of microorganisms and mediate the production of essential biomolecules for the healing process, making them an excellent choice for constructing nanocomposites for wound treatment. This work aimed to synthesize copper nanoparticles using an aqueous extract of Turnera subulata Sm. and incorporate them into sodium alginate to obtain films with healing potential. The proposed system was characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray crystallography, and biocompatibility verified by hemolysis test. The UV–vis analysis showed that CuO NPs absorb at 280 and 404 nm. The FTIR spectra revealed stretching and folding modes of the functional groups present in the aqueous extract of T. subulata responsible for the reduction/stabilization of the copper ion, as well as signals at 780 and 618 cm⁻¹ originating from the CuO bond. Size estimation using DLS revealed 564.5 and 394.2 nm. AFM data showed that adding copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) changed alginate roughness, and surface imaging revealed a material with a uniform appearance. The hemolysis test showed hemocompatibility of CuO NPs at all tested concentrations. Histology showed that CuONP-loaded alginate films accelerated the healing process.