Fabrication and biological evaluation of a bioactive gelatin-sericin hydrogel for infected wound healing

Gelatin/sericin hydrogels (GSH) were developed as bioactive wound-care biomaterials due to their favorable biocompatibility, moisture retention, and inherent bioactivity. Their physicochemical characteristics and wound-healing efficacy were systematically evaluated. The hydrogels were prepared by blending gelatin and sericin, followed by crosslinking, and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), along with antimicrobial activity, MTT cytocompatibility assay, histological (H&E) analysis, and in vivo zebrafish wound-healing studies. FTIR confirmed successful integration of gelatin and sericin through characteristic amide bands and enhanced hydrogen bonding, while HRSEM revealed a uniform porous architecture with interconnected microstructures. The GSH exhibited pronounced antimicrobial activity, with inhibition zones of 34.5 ± .5 mm against S. mutans and 10.2 ± 0.4 mm against P. aeruginosa, comparable to those of the gentamicin controls. Cytocompatibility was confirmed by >90% cell viability in MTT assays, and in vivo zebrafish models demonstrated significantly enhanced wound closure (72% by day 5) compared with untreated controls (38%). Collectively, these findings highlight the promising potential of GSH as a biocompatible, antimicrobial, and pro-healing hydrogel for wound management applications.