Chitosan‐Based Hydrogels for Infected Wound Treatment

Abstract

Wound infections slow down the healing process and lead to complications such as septicemia, osteomyelitis, and even death. Although traditional methods relying on antibiotics are effective in controlling infection, they have led to the emergence of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria. Hydrogels with antimicrobial function become a viable option for reducing bacterial colonization and infection while also accelerating healing processes. Chitosan is extensively developed as antibacterial wound dressings due to its unique biochemical properties and inherent antibacterial activity. In this review, the recent research progress of chitosan‐based hydrogels for infected wound treatment, including the fabrication methods, antibacterial mechanisms, antibacterial performance, wound healing efficacy, etc., is summarized. A concise assessment of current limitations and future trends is presented.

Recent Advances of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels for Skin-Wound Dressings

“…It relies on glycoprotein on the platelet membrane for signal activation and conduction and then works with collagen and fibrinogen to agglutinate the platelets into thrombi. In addition, a small amount of negative substance present on the surface of activated platelets can also bind to chitosan and promote platelet aggregation [ 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 ].…”

“…Among these various reasons, infection is most likely to occur due to the presence of large amounts of nutrients at the wound site, leading to the failure of acute wound treatment and the development of non-healing wounds. Apart from hindering the healing process, wound infections can lead to serious complications such as osteomyelitis, sepsis, and even death [ 113 ].…”

Injectable, antibacterial, and oxygen-releasing chitosan-based hydrogel for multimodal healing of bacteria-infected wounds

“…13 Due to the hemostatic and antibacterial properties of CT-based hydrogels, they have the potential to promote wound regeneration. 14–19 Tannic acid (TA), a polyphenolic compound, contains groups of digallic acid which are conjugated to a central glucose core through ester bonds. TA has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties.…”

An accurate spectrophotometric method for chitosan quantification

“…Chitosan is the deacetylated derivative of chitin, one of the most abundant biopolymers on earth. Due to its properties, there is a considerable variety of uses, which include gels for wound treatment [ 1 , 2 ], drug delivery [ 3 , 4 ], and bioremediation [ 5 , 6 ], among others [ 7 ].…”