Gelatin/Polyacrylamide-Based Antimicrobial and Self-Healing Hydrogel Film for Wound Healing Application

Abstract

In this study, a self-healing, adhesive, and superabsorbent film made of gelatin, poly(acrylamide), and boric acid (GelAA) was successfully synthesized using a free radical reaction mechanism. The optimized film showed a remarkable 2865 ± 42% water absorptivity and also exhibited excellent self-healing behavior. The GelAA films were further loaded with silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDC) (loading efficiency = 10%) to develop UDC/Ag/GelAA films. The loading of AgNCs in UDC/Ag/ GelAA films helped in exhibiting 99.99 ± 0.01% antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, making them very effective against bacterial infections. Additionally, UDC/Ag/GelAA films had 77.19 ± 0.52% porosity and showed 90% of UDC release in 30 h, which helps in improving the cell proliferation. Our research provides an easy but highly effective process for synthesizing a hydrogel film, which is an intriguing choice for wound healing applications without the use of antibiotics.

Bacteria-Derived Cellulose Membranes Modified with Graphene Oxide-Silver Nanoparticles for Accelerating Wound Healing

“…Different substances are incorporated into cellulose and derivatives to contribute to the antimicrobial action of dressings, such as natural oils, − metal ions, − or a mixture with antimicrobial polymers. − Nanomaterials, particularly graphene oxide (GO) and its composites, have intrinsic properties that make them suitable for biomedical applications. These materials exhibit high specific surface area, biocompatibility, and hydrophilicity.…”