Porous Sericin/PVA/Moringa oleifera Hydrogels: Physical Properties and Hyperelastic Model

Abstract

One method of treating diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), especially superficial and deep ulcers, is by using a wound scaffold in the form of a hydrogel. Sericin derived from silkworm cocoons is a promising hydrogel material candidate. Sericin protein is a part of silk that is rarely used but has the potential for biocompatibility, biological activities, and is easy to process. One of the drawbacks of sericin hydrogels is their lower mechanical properties. Therefore, sericin was composited with PVA through the freeze-thaw technique to obtain a hydrogel with good stability. Sericin/PVA hydrogel was prepared with variations in solution concentration and the ratio of PVA and sericin. It resulted in the hydrogel with interconnected pore structures. Hydrogel-based wound dressings are often chosen for the treatment of DFU in combination with herbal extract. Moringa oleifera leaves extract was embedded into sericin/PVA hydrogel as a substance to heal DFU. In this study, the morphological and structural properties of sericin/PVA hydrogels were evaluated. The micro-CT imaging analysis was done to confirm hydrogel structure and calculate its porosity percentage. The compression test and hyperelasticity validity test were done to validate the hyperelastic material model.