Enhancing wound dressing performance with hydrogel-embedded longan seed extract-loaded alginate/chitosan beads

Abstract

Hydrogel wound dressings are important medical supplies used to promote healing, absorb wound exudates, and keep a local moist environment around wounds. In this work, longan seed extract (LSE)-loaded alginate (Alg)/chitosan (CS) beads embedded in gelatin (Gel) and quaternized chitosan (QCS) hydrogels were fabricated to sustain the release of LSE and use as wound dressing materials. The effect of embedding beads and crosslinking concentration on the properties of hydrogels was investigated. SEM images showed the interconnected porous structure of the hydrogels. The mechanical properties, swelling, and weight loss of the hydrogels were improved by increasing crosslinking concentration and embedding beads. Hydrogel systems successfully improved the controlled release of LSE, showed lower cytotoxicity, and supported cell migration with 29% wound closure. Therefore, the embedding of LSE-loaded Alg/CS beads into the hydrogels exhibits promising potential for enhancing the characteristics of the hydrogels and sustaining the controlled release of bioactive components, so rendering it ideal for wound dressing application.