Tannic Acid Incorporated Antibacterial Polyethylene Glycol Based Hydrogel Sponges for Management of Wound Infections

Abstract

Conventional wound dressings fail to provide features that can assist the healing process of chronic wounds. Multifunctional wound dressings address this issue by incorporating attributes including antibacterial and antioxidant activity, and the ability to enhance wound healing. Herein, polyethylene glycol‐based antibacterial hydrogel sponge dressings were prepared by a rapid and facile gas foaming method based on an acid chloride/alcohol reaction where tannic acid (TA) was included as a reactant to impart antibacterial efficacy as well as to enhance the mechanical properties of the samples. The results revealed that the TA‐integrated sponges possess excellent antibacterial properties against both E. coli and S. aureus with approximately 6–8 log reduction in the microbial colony count after 6 hours, indicating their high potential for management of infection‐prone wounds. Compared to the control sample, TA incorporation increased the elastic modulus by two‐fold. As the samples also exhibit biocompatibility, antioxidant activity and wound healing capacity, the novel TA‐incorporated hydrogels can be an alternative to traditional wound dressings for wounds with low‐to‐moderate exudate.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved