Polysaccharide-based hydrogels with self-healing, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity for S. aureus-infected wound healing

Abstract Background Skin plays an important role in preventing the invasion of disease-causing microorganisms. However, when the skin is damaged, the damaged area is vulnerable to invasion by bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, leading to infection of the wound. Methods Here, this paper reported a self-healing, antibacterial, antioxidant multifunctional hydrogel that accelerated healing of infected wounds by releasing curcumin. The internal structure, self-healing, cell compatibility, anti-oxidation, and antibacterial properties of the hydrogel were examined. To assess the healing efficacy of the hydrogel, rat models of tail amputation hemorrhage, liver injury, and skin wound infection were established. Results Based on dynamic phenylborate, a multifunctional hydrogel comprising modified quaternary amine chitosan with phenylboric acid was developed. In addition, it was found that the multifunctional hydrogel showed good antioxidant effects on intracellular reactive oxygen species and inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. Meanwhile, the hydrogel demonstrated self-healing, good biocompatibility, antioxidant, and hemostatic properties. In vivo, the multifunctional hydrogel effectively accelerated the healing of S. aureus-infected skin defects by inhibiting bacteria, suppressing inflammation (down-regulating TNF-α and up-regulating CD206), and promoting angiogenesis (CD31 and α-SMA) and collagen synthesis (Col І). Conclusion These results suggest that the developed multifunctional hydrogel dressing provides a beneficial treatment for infected wound healing.