Multifunctional sprayable carboxymethyl chitosan/polyphenol hydrogel for wound healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Developing facile methods for synthesizing multifunctional, eco-friendly hydrogel wound dressings remains a challenge.
• Traditional wound dressings often lack the necessary properties for optimal healing, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a one-step, green synthesis method for a multifunctional hydrogel wound dressing.
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties, wound healing efficacy, and biological activities of the developed hydrogel.

Main Methods:

• Turkish gall extract (TGE) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) were combined via dual-syringe spraying to form a TGE-CMCS hydrogel (TC gel).
• The gelation time, antioxidant, antibacterial, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory properties were assessed.
• In vitro antibacterial assays against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were performed.
• In vivo studies on full-thickness skin defects in rats were conducted to evaluate wound healing rates.

Main Results:

• TC gel exhibited rapid gelation (19.0 ± 2.9 s) and retained the beneficial properties of TGE.
• The hydrogel demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, eliminating over 98% of tested bacteria.
• In vivo studies showed accelerated skin wound healing (93.98 ± 0.63% on day 10) with enhanced re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis.

Conclusions:

• The facile, one-step synthesis of TC gel offers a scalable and green approach to producing multifunctional wound dressings.
• TC gel shows significant potential as a promising wound dressing for effective clinical wound management due to its comprehensive healing properties.