Dual-crosslinked cirsiumsetosum polysaccharide/quaternary chitosan self-healing hydrogel promotes wound healing

Hydrogel dressings have attracted considerable attention as essential tools for the treatment of skin wounds. In this study, a physically and chemically double cross-linked self-healing hydrogel (HPOCFe) was developed to promote skin wound healing. Through the dual network hydrogel strategy, the hydrogel not only overcomes the slow formation and recombination of covalent bonds in the chemical crosslinking network, but also overcomes the poor mechanical properties of the physical crosslinking network. The excellent properties of each cross-linking network were preserved, while the self-healing property of the hydrogel was synergistically enhanced. Pyrocatechin (PCA) was grafted onto quaternary chitosan (HACC) to obtain HACC-PCA. Subsequently, oxidized Cirsiumsetosum polysaccharide (OCSP) and FeCl₃ were added to the HACC-PCA solution to prepare HPOCFe hydrogel.The structural and functional properties of the hydrogel were investigated, including morphology, mechanical strength, swelling and degradation behaviour, haemostatic properties, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activity and wound healing efficacy. The HPOCFe hydrogel exhibited good tissue adhesion, improved compressive strength, excellent self-healing ability, rapid haemostatic ability, low cytotoxicity, promotion of cell migration and strong antimicrobial activity. Importantly, the HPOCFe hydrogel significantly promoted epithelial regeneration, granulation tissue formation, collagen deposition and orientation, angiogenesis and wound contraction in wound healing. In conclusion, the HPOCFe hydrogel can promote wound healing and has broad application prospects as a scaffold in regenerative medicine.