Antibacterial PVA/Chitosan/alginate/Meropenem-based hydrogel as a potential therapeutic strategy for chronic ulcers infections

Abstract

One of the most critical challenges when treating chronic wounds is proper infection control. Traditionally, antibiotics are administered in high doses to inhibit bacterial growth, but they usually adversely affect the patient’s health. To overcome this problem, the use of local release systems, such as hydrogels, allows the release of therapeutic concentrations of antimicrobial agents in situ. Here we developed a polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan/alginate hydrogel (PVA/CS/ALG) loaded with the antibiotic Meropenem (MRP). The physicochemical properties of four different formulations and the biological responses of Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hWJ-MSCs) cultured in vitro with them allowed the selection of the best formulation to incorporate the antibiotic. Subsequently, the selected delivery system was evaluated for biocompatibility through cytotoxicity and cell viability assays. After, antibacterial activity was studied in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The PVA/CS/ALG 2:1:1 formulation was selected for MRP incorporation (HA-MRP) because it showed a lower swelling degree (140.68% ± 10.52%), degradation percentage (52.21% ± 5.84%), and a significantly higher Young’s Modulus compared to the other formulations. The results obtained with the HA-MRP release system showed that it is biocompatible, sustainably releases MRP, and has a potent broad-spectrum antibacterial effect. Overall, these results indicate that the HA-MRP delivery system could be a promising dressing with potential application for effectively treating chronic wound infections.