Designing a new alginate-fibrinogen biomaterial composite hydrogel for wound healing

Abstract

Wound healing is a complex process and rapid healing necessitates a proper micro-environment. Therefore, design and fabrication of an efficacious wound dressing is an impressive innovation in the field of wound healing. The fabricated wound dressing in this scenario was designed using a combination of the appropriate coagulating and anti-bacterial materials like fibrinogen (as coagulating agent), nisin (as anti-bacterial agent), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (as anti-bacterial agent), and alginate (as wound healing agent). Biophysical characterization showed that the interaction of fibrinogen and alginate was associated with minor changes in the secondary structure of the protein. Conformational studies showed that the protein was structurally stable at 42 °C, is the maximum temperature of the infected wound. The properties of the hydrogel such as swelling, mechanical resistance, nisin release, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity, gel porosity, and blood coagulation were assessed. The results showed a slow release for the nisin during 48 h. Antibacterial studies showed an inhibitory effect on the growth of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The hydrogel was also capable to absorb a considerable amount of water and provide oxygenation as well as incorporation of the drug into its structure due to its sufficient porosity. Scanning electron microscopy showed pore sizes of about 14–198 µm in the hydrogel. Cell viability studies indicated high biocompatibility of the hydrogel. Blood coagulation test also confirmed the effectiveness of the synthesized hydrogel in accelerating the process of blood clot formation. In vivo studies showed higher rates of wound healing, re-epithelialization, and collagen deposition. According to the findings from in vitro as well as in vivo studies, the designed hydrogel can be considered as a novel attractive wound dressing after further prerequisite assessments.

Novel Trends in Hydrogel Development for Biomedical Applications: A Review

“…Results revealed that the synthesized system had excellent properties for wound healing applications due to its adequate mechanical features and biocompatibility. In addition, in vivo experiments on Winstar rat models showed that the fabricated biocomposite hydrogel could present an appropriate antibacterial effect and efficiency for chronic wound treatment [ 114 ].…”

A Narrative Review on Means to Promote Oxygenation and Angiogenesis in Oral Wound Healing

“…Many different types of hydrogel dressings have been investigated, with the aim of enhancing wound healing by promoting angiogenesis while at the same time scavenging ROS. They include alginate, paramylon, fibrinogen, hyaluronic acid, silk fibroin, and carboxymethyl cellulose, among others [ 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 ]. A different approach is the administration of tOT to the affected areas in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) using a local boot that delivers 100% oxygen to the wound at 1.03 atm [ 72 ].…”

Honey-Propolis-Engineered Collagen Peptides as Promising Wound-Healing Matrix in Mouse Model

“…The main concern, however, is how well they alleviate the healing process [ 6 ]. A proper wound dressing should provide a favorable microenvironment for wound healing, such as proper gas permeability, germ and dust permeability, low adhesion to the wound site, flexibility, durability, water loss prevention, hemocompatibility, and ease of separation from wound surface during dressing [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The type of wound dressing and the materials used to prepare wound dressing play an important role in the wound-healing process.…”

“…The type of wound dressing and the materials used to prepare wound dressing play an important role in the wound-healing process. Several studies highlighted the importance of using traditional medicines in wound dressings to improve the wound-healing process, also due to their therapeutic properties, low cost, bioavailability, and efficacy [ 8 , 10 ].…”

“…The wound dressing material developed in this study was made out of collagen hydrolysates, which form a biodegradable natural tissue matrix that provides skin strength, aids in wound healing and tissue regeneration, is little antigenic, is biocompatible, has the ability to promote cell attachment and proliferation, and is non-toxic. Collagen has well-documented structural, chemical, and physical properties [ 8 , 11 ], and when combined with propolis, a sticky substance formed by the resin collected from trees by bees and secreted by their maxillary glands, it forms a sticky substance. It is made out of 50% of balsam resin, 30% of wax, 10% of essential and aromatic oils, 5% of pollen, and 5% of other ingredients, such as wood fragments [ 12 ].…”