The Influence of Metal Salts, Surfactants, and Wound Care Products on Enzymatic Activity of Collagenase, the Wound Debriding Enzyme

242 WOUNDS www.woundsresearch.com Abstract: An important part of the wound healing process is the removal of necrotic tissue from a wound to promote healing. Enzymatic debridement is one of the widely used methods to accomplish this goal. Clostridium collagenase (C. collagenase) containing ointment is frequently used in clinics to debride wounds. In this work, the influence of metal salts and various types of surfactants on the enzymatic activity of C. collagenase is tested. The relationship between charge and size of metal ions and surfactant structure is explained in the context of enzyme inhibition. Commonly used wound care products, such as cleansers, dressings, antimicrobial formulations, and silver dressings are tested with C. collagenase. The results are discussed in terms of enzyme compatibility with such materials, and recommendations for use of wound care accessories in conjunction with the debriding enzyme are given, with the aim to help wound care providers make more educated choices towards accomplishing optimal therapy outcome. WOUNDS 2012;24(9):242–253