Rapidly self-crosslinking sodium alginate hydrogel for infected wounds

Abstract

The risks associated with wound infections are significant, making a snug-fitting hydrogel dressing an optimal choice for wound management. For it, we employed the self-cross-linking method of oxidized sodium alginate (SCSA), incorporating clarithromycin (Cla) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to formulate a rapidly forming, bacteriostatic, and wound-healing hydrogel (SCSA@C/b). Bacteriostatic and cytocompatibility assays demonstrated that SCSA@C/b exhibits exceptional antibacterial activity alongside strong biocompatibility. A fractional infected wound model showed that SCSA@C/b accelerated healing of infected wounds by approximately three days compared to the healing time of the control group, with nearly complete wound recovery. H&E staining and SEM analysis of the healed wound sections revealed significant pro-healing effects. Thus, SCSA@C/b is a promising medicinal hydrogel for encouraging wound healing in contaminated areas.