Self-Healing Injectable Double Cross-Linked Hydrogels and Oriented Network-Structured Aerogels as Foodborne Macromolecular Wound Healing Systems

Abstract

Acute wounds exhibit complex diversity, necessitating immediate hemostasis and tailored wound care strategies. To address these challenges, we developed protein- and polysaccharide-based hydrogel and aerogel dressings designed to adapt to the therapeutic demands of diverse clinical injury scenarios. Herein, a double cross-linked hydrogel based on type B gelatin (Gel), oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM), and borax was synthesized. We also fabricated an oriented network-structured aerogel composed of silk fibroin (SF), xanthan gum (XG), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by ice templating. It has been demonstrated that the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel possessed adjustable self-healing capabilities, injectability, biodegradability, and microstructural and physicochemical attributes, showing its potential for treating deep and irregular wounds. The SF-XG-PVA aerogel (unidirectional freezing, −20 °C) exhibited favorable flexibility, rapid water absorption rate (achieving equilibrium within 112 s), and slower degradation rate, indicating its suitability for the treatment of superficial and flat wounds. When applied in a hemostatic ability assay, the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel elicited a hemostatic effect (32.87 ± 2.51 mg, 88 ± 13 s, P < 0.05), compared with the SF-XG-PVA aerogel (79.02 ± 6.31 mg, 126 ± 11 s, P < 0.05) and gauze group (123.94 ± 20.62 mg, 173 ± 4 s, P < 0.05). Notably, the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel and SF-XG-PVA aerogel possessed good biocompatible, anti-inflammatory properties, and can promote skin wound healing. Overall, this study highlights the potential of the Gel-OKGM-Borax hydrogel and SF-XG-PVA aerogel as promising biomaterials in wound management.