Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) is an extract derived from the rare and valuable Chinese herb Bletilla striata [Thunb.] Reichb. f.. Although BSP research has progressed considerably, producing portable BSP dressings with hemostatic efficacy remains challenging. This study describes a novel dressing with a reticulate structure. To create this structure, BSP sponges were cross-linked with chitosan and lyophilized. The resulting BSP sponges had excellent mechanical properties, a high density of pores, and an outstanding capacity for fluid absorption. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the BSP sponges had excellent hemostatic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties; they also exhibited good stimulation of cell growth and wound healing properties. Furthermore, they were less likely to provoke complications than traditional materials. Cytocompatibility assays revealed that they also stimulated cell proliferation. Therefore, our study suggests that BSP sponges have promising clinical applications as wound dressings.
The contamination of bone defects is a serious therapeutic problem. The treatment of infected bone defects involves rigorous infection control followed by bone reconstruction. Considering these two processes, the development of biomaterials possessing antibacterial and osteogenic properties offers a promising approach for the treatment of infected bone defects. In this study, a dual-functional, thermosensitive, and injectable hydrogel composed of chitosan (CS), quaternized CS (QCS), and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) was designed, and the ratio of CS to QCS in the hydrogel was optimized to enhance the antibacterial efficacy of CS while reducing the cytotoxicity of QCS. In vitro studies demonstrated that the hydrogel with an 85 %:15 % ratio of CS to QCS exhibited excellent biocompatibility and antibacterial properties while also possessing suitable mechanical characteristics and degradability. The incorporation of nHA into the hydrogel enhanced MC3T3-E1 proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, this hydrogel demonstrated superior in vivo therapeutic effectiveness in a rabbit model of infected bone defect. In summary, this study provides a promising material design and a comprehensive one-step treatment strategy for infected bone defects.