The Effect of Silk Fibroin Additive on the Properties of Tannic Acid-Based Bioadhesives

Hydrogel adhesives have attracted significant attention for diverse biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, wound dressings, crack propagation prevention, and hemorrhage control. In this study, a tissue adhesive composed of polyethylene glycol, tannic acid, and gelatin, with different concentrations of silk fibroin (SF), was synthesized and systematically evaluated using fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), adhesion strength tests, swelling and degradation analysis, cytotoxicity and proliferation studies and antibacterial assays. Structural analysis confirmed the presence of strong hydrogen bonds among the components, while SEM imaging revealed a porous morphology for all samples. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the incorporation of SF additive significantly influenced the adhesion strength of the hydrogels. Furthermore, an increase in SF content led to a significant reduction in swelling capacity and degradation rate. The adhesive samples exhibited excellent biocompatibility, and antibacterial assays indicated that the SF additive maintained antibacterial efficacy comparable to the samples without the additive. These findings highlight the synthesized tissue adhesive as a promising candidate with favorable mechanical and biological properties for potential clinical applications in tissue engineering and wound healing.