Guar gum- and montmorillonite-based all-natural hydrogels for superior wound healing

A nanoclay-based biopolymer hydrogel has been developed using guar gum and montmorillonite, demonstrating excellent wound healing efficacy. Montmorillonite has a smaller particle size (∼30 nm), which improves penetration across the epidermal barrier and thereby boosts wound healing. Guar gum-montmorillonite hydrogel (G-MMT) exhibited good physicochemical properties and controlled release of the montmorillonite clay till 94 hours in the release kinetics study. The antibacterial performance of G-MMT was assessed by determining its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the S. aureus and E. coli strains. The formulated hydrogel's biocompatibility, cytotoxicity and wound healing efficacy were assessed in vitro using NIH3T3 cells, confirming its non-toxic nature and faster cell migration that leads to wound closure within 40 hours of scratch formation. In vivo studies with albino rats demonstrated superior wound healing performance, as evidenced by accelerated wound-area reduction and reduced inflammation, and enhanced vascularization, as demonstrated by TNF-α and CD31 immunohistochemistry. In vivo studies confirmed no damage to major organs, as verified through histology. Large-animal wound healing studies demonstrated that G-MMT has superior healing efficacy over conventional treatments, achieving rapid and complete wound closure in disbudding models. These findings position G-MMT as a clinically viable, biodegradable alternative for effective wound management.