Marine polysaccharide-based multifunctional composite sponge for rapid hemostasis and enhanced infected wound healing

Uncontrolled bleeding and bacterial infections are major impediments to wound healing. Developing a wound dressing for the skin that possesses both antimicrobial properties and effective hemostatic capabilities is crucial. In this study, a marine polysaccharide-based multifunctional composite sponge was fabricated via chemical cross-linking approach and freeze-drying process. We structurally blended chitosan (CS) with hematite nanotubes (HNT) possessing hemostatic activity. HNT not only effectively promotes blood coagulation by activating coagulation factors but also significantly enhances the structural stability and mechanical properties of the chitosan matrix as a nano-reinforcing agent. Inspired by marine mussel adhesion, polydopamine (PDA) was employed to convert silver ions (Ag⁺) into silver nanoparticles (PDA@Ag). They were uniformly embedded and stabilized in CS sponges to enhance sustained antimicrobial effects and mitigate cytotoxicity. Compared with gauze, the CS/HNT/PDA@Ag sponge demonstrated excellent hemostatic performance. In rat tail injury experiments, the time to hemostasis was reduced from 89.3 s to 18 s, and blood loss was reduced from 898 to 260 mg. In rat liver injury experiments, the time to hemostasis was reduced from 121 s to 28.7 s, and blood loss was reduced from 1037 to 159 mg. The addition of Ag NPs and the subsequent release of ions significantly reduced bacterial survival rates (> 95%). In a rat full-thickness skin defect infection model, the healing rate of CS/HNT/PDA@Ag sponge reached 99.8% at 14 days of implantation, which effectively promoted collagen deposition, neovascularization and wound healing. By combining the natural biocompatibility of marine-derived CS with the synergistic effects of HNT and mussel-inspired PDA@Ag, the composite sponges offer a highly effective solution for hemostasis and infected wound healing.

The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s42995-026-00413-1.