Hierarchical Plant-Derived Chinese Herbal Hydrogel Patches for Wound Healing

Hydrogel-based wound dressings integrated with bioactive components have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy in skin regenerative medicine. Current research priorities focus on improving the biocompatibility and structural performance of these patches to achieve safer and more efficient wound repair outcomes. In this study, a hierarchical plant-derived traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) delivery system using gelatinized starch and natural TCM ingredients was developed. The patch was successfully fabricated by embedding salidroside (SAL)-loaded dandelion pollen into a kudzu starch-astragalus polysaccharide (APS) hydrogel matrix. During the application of the patch, the SAL-APS-Gel patch rapidly degrades in the wound, releasing APS to exert antimicrobial effects. Meanwhile, the embedded pollen is exposed to the wound microenvironment and gradually delivers SAL for sustained reactive oxygen species scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects, thus achieving programmed and long-term therapeutic outcomes. Leveraging these advantages, in vivo experiments confirmed that the patch achieved remarkable results in early-stage antimicrobial activity and subsequent tissue remodeling. This hierarchical plant-derived TCM delivery patch is anticipated to serve as a new strategy for future clinical wound management.