Fabrication of ecofriendly silver based composite hydrogel with multifunctional properties as possible wound dressing material

Abstract

Hydrogels are ideal for creating wound dressings but fabricating such hydrogels with strong antibacterial properties and high biosafety is complex due to their unique properties. Therefore, the present work proposes the preparation of chitosan-silver-moringa gum composite hydrogel (CAM) with excellent bactericidal action. The solvent-free, ecologically friendly, and cost-effective hydrogel sets a new standard for sustainable production. The CAM composite hydrogel showed maximum swelling in distilled water after 24 hours. The produced composite hydrogel has a characteristic Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The CAM composite hydrogel inhibited Hela cell lines by 100 ± 0.56% at 30 µg/mL with an IC50 of 13.89 ± 0.8 µg/mL via MTT assay. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed the hydrogel's porous structure whereas (EDX) analysis revealed the presence of silver in the hydrogel matrix. Additionally, the DPPH assay showed 82.06 ± 1.39% antioxidant activity at 0.9 mg/mL for the composite hydrogel. The in-vitro protein denaturation assay, of composite hydrogel, showed 59.7 ± 2.52% inhibition compared to diclofenac 87.89 ± 0.47% at 1 mg/mL, indicating anti-inflammatory efficacy. CAM hydrogel showed steady behaviour from 105 to 170 °C with a weight loss of 2.77%, making it suitable for steam sterilisation as a wound dressing material. CAM composite hydrogel has a different glass transition temperature (Tg) curve compared to chitosan and moringa gum, indicating its successful production. The CAM composite hydrogel demonstrated promising antibacterial activity against all tested strains, making it a promising biobased wound dressing material.