Preparation and Wound Repair of Injectable and Self-Healing Benzaldehyde-Modified Konjac Glucomannan...

Oligosaccharides always have better water solubility, higher possibilities for modification, and unique biofunctions compared with polysaccharides, but they are rarely used as the matrix of a hydrogel. Here, we prepared a composite BKOS/HPGA/PL hydrogel (BKPP hydrogel) constructed by hydrazone/imine bonds between the aldehyde groups of benzaldehyde-modified konjac glucomannan oligosaccharide (BKOS) and the primary amino groups of both hydrazide-modified polyglutamic acid (HPGA) and ε-polylysine (ε-PL). The hydrogels had both injectable and self-healing properties. The gelation time reached 23 s when 2% of BKOS (DS = 21.7%), 10% HPGA (DS = 11.5%), and 10% ε-PL solutions were mixed in a volume ratio of 5:4.5:0.5. Besides high water-retention capability and good cytocompatibility, the hydrogel also maintained both the immunoactivities of BKOS and the antibacterial performances of ε-PL and HPGA, and thus exhibited good wound healing performance in the whole cortex wound repair process of rats, which might have potential for its biomedical application.