A double cross-linked anisotropic quaternized chitosan/sodium alginate-based wound dressing for rapid drainage of biofluids
Maocheng Ji, Jianyong Li, Fangyi Li, Yi Wang, Jia Man, Xiaojie Wang, Yinghua Qiu, Chuanwei Zhang, Sixian Peng, Jianfeng Li
Abstract
Excessive biofluid around wounds can cause infection and prevent healing. In this study, an anisotropic quaternized chitosan (QC)/sodium alginate (AL)-based aerogel wound dressing was prepared via a directional freeze-drying technique inspired by the channel structure used for water transport in trees. The aligned channels provided the dressing with self-pumping ability, allowing it to rapidly and completely remove biofluids and absorb biofluids up to 1292.5% of its own weight. To enhance the strength of the dressing, a double cross-linked network was constructed based on the QC-AL electrostatic attraction and AL-Ca2+ chelation interaction. The axial compressive strength of the double cross-linked dressing reached 207.3 kPa (ε = 50%). In addition, the dressing exhibited strong conductive properties (conductivity = 13.0 S/m), antioxidant activities [reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability = 88.0%], and hemostatic characteristics (blood coagulation index = 1.8%). The dressing also exhibited powerful antibacterial performance, exhibiting over 98.0% inhibition of E. coli and S. aureus. Experiments on diabetic mouse models revealed that the dressing considerably promoted wound healing. On day 3, the wound healing rate was 96.7% faster in the QAC group than in the gauze group. Therefore, the developed dressing may have great potential for chronic wound care.