Herbal small molecule-based low/medium internal phase supramolecular gel emulsion for diabetic wound healing

It remains a big challenge to fabricate low / medium internal phase gel emulsion for the safe wound dressing with low stimulation to the skin. Herein, utilizing the self-assembly and gelation of amphiphilic herbal small molecule-glycyrrhizic acid (GA) derived from traditional Chinese medicine, a new type of supramolecular gel emulsion (SGE) with antibacterial activity and low / medium internal phase was proposed. In the SGE, the oil droplets were stabilized by the nanofibers self-assembled from GA, and the SGE was formed by the supramolecular assembly of GA nanofibers in the presence of Pickering emulsions. As a result, under low / medium internal phase ( φ  = 30–50 %), SGEs could be readily prepared. Antibacterial tests demonstrated that the growth of gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) and gram-negative Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) could be effectively inhibited by the SGE. Additionally, compared to high internal phase SGE, SGE with φ  = 50 % displayed lower cytotoxicity and a positive impact on the healing process of infectious diabetic wounds. This work provided a novel approach for constructing low / medium internal phase gel emulsion via herbal small molecule-based supramolecular assembly.