Preparation of antibacterial tellurium nanorod-incorporated thermosensitive pluronic F-127 hydrogels for wound healing applications

Abstract

Drug-resistant bacterial infections pose significant challenges to wound healing, highlighting the urgent need for innovative multifunctional wound-healing materials. Tellurium (Te) nanomaterials (NMs) have been successfully utilized in antimicrobial agents, while thermosensitive hydrogels have demonstrated promise in preventing implant-related infections. In this study, Te NMs were synthesized using pineapple peel (PP) extracts under optimized conditions. Their bioactivity and wound-healing potential were then evaluated after incorporation into Pluronic F-127 (PF-127) hydrogel. PP-Te nanorods (NRs) exhibited a rod-like shape and a homogeneous dispersion within the hydrogel network structure. The average sizes of PP-Te NRs and PP-Te NRs/PF-127 were 148.7 ± 19.8 nm and 36.6 ± 17.6 nm, respectively. Their functional characteristics and crystalline structures were confirmed through FTIR and XRD analysis. The PP-Te NRs/PF-127 hydrogel demonstrated a higher release of Te ions and degradable capacity in a wound environment. Both PP-Te NRs and PP-Te NRs/PF-127 exhibited strong antibacterial activity, inhibiting bacterial growth (E. coli: MIC₉₀ < 1.9 and 3.41 μg/mL), preventing biofilm formation, and disrupting bacterial cell membranes. Furthermore, PP-Te NRs and PP-Te NRs/PF-127 hydrogel demonstrated excellent in vitro wound-healing efficacy (98.6 % closure within 36 h), exhibiting low hemolysis (<5 %) and high biocompatibility in HaCaT cells (cell viability >90 %). These findings highlight the significant potential of PP-Te NRs and PP-Te NRs/PF-127 hydrogel as multifunctional agents for wound-healing applications.