Injectable chitosan hydrogels loaded with antioxidant agent as first-aid dressings for second-degree burn wounds

Burn wounds are destructive skin traumas typically of irregular shape and large area. Prone to infection, they require frequent dressing replacement, and painless removal of dressings from burn wounds remains a major challenge. This study focuses on the dynamic characteristics and treatment difficulty of burn wounds. Hydrogel dressings based on glycol chitosan and propionaldehyde- or benzaldehyde-terminated 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) were designed on the basis of Schiff base cross-linking networks. The hydrogels exhibited shape-adaptability, self-healing and fast-degradation properties, which makes these hydrogels suitable for burn wounds. Salvianolic acid B (SaB)-loaded hydrogel exhibited good antioxidant properties in vitro . In a rat model of deep second-degree burn wounds, the SaB-loaded hydrogel could quickly reduce wound temperature, regulate wound oxidant microenvironment, promote angiogenesis, and accelerate wound healing. Thus, the drug-loaded hydrogel shows significant potential as a first-aid dressing for treatment of burn wounds.