Curcumin Hydrogel Diffusion Model and PQQGDH Visualization
In the curcumin diffusion model, we aim to model the total concentration of curcumin in the bloodstream with respect to thickness of the skin it must travel through to get to a bloodstream and time total time. Our model uses Fick’s Laws via modified code [2] in order to generalize numerical solutions to the problem. Additionally, we used some approximations/assumptions to further simplify the model. Our first assumption is that curcumin has a similar diffusion coefficient to glucose (2.25 x 10^-6 cm^2/min) [1].
Secondly, it is important to note that the maximum concentration that enters the bloodstream is dependent on the distance the curcumin must travel. This is defined as the total thickness of skin the particles must travel, and we consider open air, which can exist the deepness of a wound, as negligible distance for curcumin since there is no resistance. Alternatively, this may be useful for age differences or special conditions, which may alter the thickness of skin and thus if there wasn’t a wound, this mode could still apply.
With these two assumptions in mind, we used MATLAB’s pdepe function to numerically solve Fick’s law with the above assumptions/conditions and represent the information in three different ways: a 3D graph, a heat map, and a phase map. With this model we were able to determine concentration of curcumin in the bloodstream at various times and distances between the hydrogel and blood vessel. It is indeed true that the greater the depth of skin (which means small wound) has a small curcumin concentration. On the other hand, the deeper the wound (less depth of skin that curcumin has to travel), the larger the blood-curcumin concentration. This is ideally what we want since smaller wounds like have a lower amount of or chance for P. aeruginosa infection, so conserve curcumin, the hydrogel should release less curcumin, represented by a lower blood-curcumin concentration.
Secondly, it is important to note that the maximum concentration that enters the bloodstream is dependent on the distance the curcumin must travel. This is defined as the total thickness of skin the particles must travel, and we consider open air, which can exist the deepness of a wound, as negligible distance for curcumin since there is no resistance. Alternatively, this may be useful for age differences or special conditions, which may alter the thickness of skin and thus if there wasn’t a wound, this mode could still apply.
With these two assumptions in mind, we used MATLAB’s pdepe function to numerically solve Fick’s law with the above assumptions/conditions and represent the information in three different ways: a 3D graph, a heat map, and a phase map. With this model we were able to determine concentration of curcumin in the bloodstream at various times and distances between the hydrogel and blood vessel. It is indeed true that the greater the depth of skin (which means small wound) has a small curcumin concentration. On the other hand, the deeper the wound (less depth of skin that curcumin has to travel), the larger the blood-curcumin concentration. This is ideally what we want since smaller wounds like have a lower amount of or chance for P. aeruginosa infection, so conserve curcumin, the hydrogel should release less curcumin, represented by a lower blood-curcumin concentration.
![](https://static.igem.wiki/teams/4893/wiki/model/fickslaw.png)
Fick's Law
References
[1] Bader RA, Herzog KT, Kao WJ. A study of diffusion in poly(ethyleneglycol)-gelatin based semi-interpenetrating networks for use in wound healing. Polym Bull (Berl). 2009 Mar 1;62(3):10.1007/s00289-008-0023-x. doi: 10.1007/s00289-008-0023-x. PMID: 24311827; PMCID: PMC3848884.
[2] Using PDEPE for Ficks second law ? - MATLAB Answers - MATLAB Central [Internet]. [cited 2023 Oct 11]. Available from: link
![](https://static.igem.wiki/teams/4893/wiki/model/pqqgdh-movie-polished.gif)
Animation of the PQQGDH active site