Development, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of a Self-Healing Hydrogel Patch Loaded with Ciprofloxacin...

Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer chains that form a three-dimensional network, widely used for wound dressing due to their ability to absorb significant amounts of fluid. This study aimed to develop a hydrogel patch for wound dressing with self-healing properties, particularly for joints and stretchable body parts, providing a physical barrier while maintaining an optimal environment for wound healing. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na CMC) were crosslinked with borax, which reacts with the active hydroxyl groups in both polymers to form a hydrogel. The patches were loaded with ciprofloxacin HCl (CIP), a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to prevent and treat various types of wound infections. Hydrogels were subjected to rheological, morphological, antimicrobial, self-healing, ex vivo release, swelling, cytotoxicity, wound healing, and stability studies. The hydrogels exhibited shear-thinning, thixotropic, and viscoelastic properties. Microscopic images of the CIP hydrogel patch showed a porous, crosslinked matrix. The antimicrobial activity of the patch revealed antibacterial effectiveness against five types of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, demonstrating a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.05 μg/mL against E. coli. The swelling percentage was found to be 337.4 ± 12.7%. The cumulative CIP release percentage reached 103.7 ± 3.7% after 3 h, followed by zero-order release kinetics. The stability studies revealed that the crossover point shifted toward higher frequencies after 3 months of storage at room temperature, suggesting a relaxation in the hydrogel bonds. The cytotoxicity study revealed that the CIP hydrogel patch is non-cytotoxic. Additionally, the in vivo study demonstrated that the CIP hydrogel patch possesses wound-healing ability. Therefore, the CIP PVA/Na CMC/Borax patch could be used in wound dressing.