Fabrication and characterization of biocompatible BPC-157 based chitosan hydrogel

Multifunctional hydrogels are essential for advanced biomedical applications. In this study, CH/BPC composite hydrogel was fabricated and characterized for their physicochemical properties. The formulation exhibited a porous structure, analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the presence of hydrogen bond between BPC-157 peptide and chitosan backbone, indicating successful peptide incorporation within the hydrogel matrix. The composite hydrogel exhibited a balanced water vapor transmission rate (2,270 ± 35 g/m² /day), along with remarkable properties of injectability, self-healing capability, and adhesiveness. Furthermore, the hydrogel demonstrated excellent encapsulation (98.9 ± 0.8%) of BPC-157, with release profile of 81.2 ± 2.9% within 24 h. In addition, the CH/BPC hydrogel demonstrated potent antibacterial efficacy, achieving up to 45.9% (Escherichia coli) and 65.0% (Staphylococcus aureus) inhibition. The fabricated hydrogel also showed a hemolysis rate of less than 5%, indicating acceptable hemocompatibility. Collectively, these findings indicate that CH/BPC hydrogel possesses desirable physicochemical and antibacterial characteristics, highlighting their potential as multifunctional hydrogel for future biomedical applications.