Phlorotannins (PH) derived from brown algae have been shown to have biological effects. However, the application of PH in biomedical materials has not been investigated. Here, we investigated the effects of PH on normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) proliferation and fabricated a composite hydrogel consisting PH and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) (PVA/PH) by a freezing-thawing method for wound healing applications. Cell proliferation was significantly higher in the PH-treated (0.01 and 0.02%) cells than in non-treated cells. Based on the mechanical properties, the PVA/PH hydrogel had a significantly increased swelling ratio and ultimate strain compared to the PVA hydrogel, but the ultimate tensile strength and tensile modulus were decreased. Additionally, cell attachment and proliferation on the composites were evaluated using NHDFs. The results showed that after 1 and 5 days, cell attachment and proliferation were significantly increased on the PVA/PH hydrogel compared with that on the PVA hydrogel. The findings from this study suggest that the PVA/PH hydrogel may be a candidate biomedical material for wound healing applications.

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