Punicalagin-Loaded Alginate/Chitosan-Gallol Hydrogels for Efficient Wound Repair and Hemostasis

Abstract

For recently devised wound-healing materials, a variety of acute application systems with sustainable therapeutic effects on wound sites have been suggested. For example, hydrogel-type healing agents with porous structures and high drug encapsulation efficiencies have been developed for wound repair. However, challenges remain about the poor mechanical and adhesive properties of hydrogels. Herein, we propose a punicalagin (PC)-containing wound-healing hydrogel in adhesive form that is mechanically stable and has sustainable wound-healing therapeutic efficiency. The APC hydrogel, composed of alginate (ALG), PC, and chitosan–gallol (CHI–G), exhibits significant mechanical and self-healing properties, thus indicating that PC increases cross-linking in ALG/CHI–G as macromolecule. The PC-containing mechanically enhanced hydrogel demonstrates high tissue adhesiveness. Sustainable PC release for 192 h, which indicates high therapeutic effect of the released PC, and great blood compatibility are evaluated based on rapid blood coagulation and minimal hemolysis. The cytocompatibility and wound-healing abilities of the PC-containing APC hydrogel are greater than those of the non-PC hydrogel, as verified by cell compatibility and wound scratch assays. These results indicate that a suitable concentration of PC-containing hydrogel with sustainable moisture condition and PC release may inspire further polyphenol-agent-containing hydrogels as wound-healing agents with structural stability and therapeutic efficiency.