Gallic acid and chitosan-AgNPs gel beads co-encapsulated sodium alginate/gelatin hydrogels as wound dressings for promoting wound repair

Multifunctional hydrogel wound dressings are prepared for wound repair. Chitosan (CS)-AgNPs gel beads are first synthesized through electrostatic attractions, which are then co-encapsulated with gallic acid (GA) in the sodium alginate (SA)/gelatin hydrogels prepared by using Ca 2+ as the crosslinker. Due to the antibacterial effects of CS, AgNPs and GA, the resulting SA/gelatin/GA/CS-AgNPs (SGGCA) hydrogels can significantly inhibit the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. On the other hand, the integration of GA can also endow the hydrogels with high antioxidant activity, which show strong scavenging capability for free radicals. In addition, the SGGCA hydrogels also exhibit excellent blood compatibility and cytocompatibility. Finally, the hydrogels are used as wound dressings for in vivo wound repair of mice, and the results demonstrate that the hydrogel wound dressings can effectively promote the healing of wounds.