Abstract
In recent years, the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) or Multidrug Resistance (MDR) and viral infections have become serious health issues, globally. Finally, after decades of negligence, the AMR/MDR and viral infection issues have now captured a worldwide attention of the global leaders, public health community, legalization authorities, academia, research-based organizations, and medicinal sector of the modern world, alike. Aiming to resolve these issues, various methodological approaches have been exploited, in the past several years. Among them, biomaterials-based therapeutic hydrogels are of supreme interests for an enhanced and efficient delivery in the current biomedical sector. Depending on the regulatory authorities and practices, the antibiotics consumption was expedited than ever before driven by rising and increasing access, across the globe. Though the emergence of AMR/MDR in microorganisms and emergence/reemergence of viral infections are considered as a natural phenomenon, however, these concerning issues have been driven by those mentioned above faulty human behavior. In this context, many scientists, around the globe, are working at wider spectrum to resolve this problematic issue, efficiently. A proper understanding of biological mechanisms is essential to combat this global threat to the living beings. In this review, an effort has been made to highlight the potent features of materials based hydrogels possessing antimicrobial and antiviral potentialities. The information is also given on the potential research activities, and possible mechanisms of actions of hydrogels are discussed with a closeup look at the future recommendations.
Highlights
Materials-based hydrogels are a three-dimensional cross-linked polymeric network which can be multifunctional in nature and able to respond to the external stimuli e.g. environmental pH, temperature, light, electric field, etc
The available hydrophilic groups or functional domains i.e. carboxyl, amino, and/or hydroxyl groups in the polymeric network play a major role in the water holding capacity of the hydrogels [5]
This review highlights the potent features of materials based hydrogels possessing antimicrobial and antiviral potentialities
Summary
Materials-based hydrogels are a three-dimensional cross-linked polymeric network which can be multifunctional in nature and able to respond to the external stimuli e.g. environmental pH, temperature, light, electric field, etc. The available hydrophilic groups or functional domains i.e. carboxyl, amino, and/or hydroxyl groups in the polymeric network play a major role in the water holding capacity of the hydrogels [5]. The hydrophilic groups or functional domains and water holding feature of a hydrogel are directly proportional to each other. The quest for materials-based hydrogels with potent functionalities including antimicrobial potentialities has revitalized the field of biomaterials. The present review work focuses on the development of novel types of materials-based hydrogels with antimicrobial and antiviral potentialities for various biomedical sectors of the modern world. Towards the end, outstanding issues posing questions mark and needs to be addressed are presented that can pave the way for future studies
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