Sustainable Conversion of Husk into Viscoelastic Hydrogels for Value-Added Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Sustainable Healthcare
• Traditional Medicine Valorization

Background:

• Plant-derived materials offer overlooked healthcare potential.
• The Malva Nut Tree (Sterculia lychnophora Hance) fruit, PangdaHai (PDH), has traditional medicinal uses.
• PDH husk is a source of rigid polysaccharides often considered waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biocompatible hydrogel from PDH husk polysaccharides.
• To evaluate the hydrogel's efficacy in wound healing and as an ECG interface.
• To demonstrate a sustainable method for converting plant waste into healthcare materials.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of polysaccharides from PDH husk via swelling behavior.
• Development of a viscoelastic hydrogel using micro-compression.
• Enhancement of hydrogel properties through electrostatic crosslinking with chitosan.
• Assessment of biocompatibility, wound healing promotion, and ECG performance.

Main Results:

• A biocompatible hydrogel was successfully synthesized from PDH husk.
• The hydrogel accelerated keratinocyte migration, promoting wound healing.
• The hydrogel outperformed commercial patches for skin-attached ECG monitoring, showing superior signal-to-noise ratios.
• Stable in vivo epicardial ECG recording was achieved with a 16-channel mesh-electronic device integrated with the hydrogel.

Conclusions:

• PDH husk polysaccharides can be sustainably converted into advanced healthcare materials.
• The developed hydrogel shows significant potential for wound healing applications.
• The hydrogel serves as a high-performance interfacial material for advanced ECG monitoring.