Antibacterial efficacy of a peptide co-assembled hydrogel matrix for wound care

The self-assembly of small peptides for the fabrication of soft materials for specific biomedical applications is an emerging area of research. In this study, we report a coassembled hydrogel prepared with 9-anthracenemethoxycarbonyl (Amoc)-capped dipeptide, intended for in vivo wound dressing applications. The Amoc-capped dipeptide coassembles with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 37 °C), resulting in a self-supporting hydrogel. The electron microscopic images of the hydrogel reveal the presence of entangled nanofibrillar networks owing to the coassembly of peptide and β-CD. The rheological investigations illustrate the viscoelastic nature of the hydrogel. Additionally, the coassembled hydrogel shows shear thinning due to periodic sol-gel-sol conversion at a constant angular frequency. The coassembled hydrogel also exhibits inherent antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. The scanning electron microscopic images reveal aggregation induced permeabilization and rupture of bacterial cell membrane. The biocompatibility of hydrogel is investigated using HEK293 and AGS cell lines. Moreover, the hydrogel demonstrates in vivo wound dressing activity which is confirmed by monitoring the progress of wound healing through digital photographs and histopathological analysis. Furthermore, the hydrogel works as an anti-inflammatory agent owing to the reduction of nitrite levels during the healing process.