Self-Healing Injectable Double Cross-Linked Hydrogels and Oriented Network-Structured Aerogels as Foodborne Macromolecular Wound Healing Systems
Juan Yue, Xiaolin Yao, Li Li Li, Wenguang Liu, Yilin Mei, Adam C. Midgley, Katsuyoshi Nishinari, Mouming Zhao, Guoliang Li
Abstract
Acute wounds exhibit complex diversity, necessitating immediate hemostasis and tailored wound care strategies. To address these challenges, we developed protein- and polysaccharide-based hydrogel and aerogel dressings designed to adapt to the therapeutic demands of diverse clinical injury scenarios. Herein, a double cross-linked hydrogel based on type B gelatin (Gel), oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM), and borax was synthesized. We also fabricated an oriented network-structured aerogel composed of silk fibroin (SF), xanthan gum (XG), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by ice templating. It has been demonstrated that the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel possessed adjustable self-healing capabilities, injectability, biodegradability, and microstructural and physicochemical attributes, showing its potential for treating deep and irregular wounds. The SF-XG-PVA aerogel (unidirectional freezing, −20 °C) exhibited favorable flexibility, rapid water absorption rate (achieving equilibrium within 112 s), and slower degradation rate, indicating its suitability for the treatment of superficial and flat wounds. When applied in a hemostatic ability assay, the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel elicited a hemostatic effect (32.87 ± 2.51 mg, 88 ± 13 s, P < 0.05), compared with the SF-XG-PVA aerogel (79.02 ± 6.31 mg, 126 ± 11 s, P < 0.05) and gauze group (123.94 ± 20.62 mg, 173 ± 4 s, P < 0.05). Notably, the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel and SF-XG-PVA aerogel possessed good biocompatible, anti-inflammatory properties, and can promote skin wound healing. Overall, this study highlights the potential of the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel and SF-XG-PVA aerogel as promising biomaterials in wound management.