Dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol based hydrogel dressing via dual dynamic bonds with self-adaptive, hemostatic, and antibacterial activity for wound healing

Abstract

The poor mechanical properties and rigid structures of conventional hydrogel wound dressings often hinder their complete adherence to the wound surface, particularly in areas with frequent joint movement and stretching. Moreover, wounds exposed to ambient environments are susceptible to bacterial infections. To develop hydrogel wound dressing that possessed adaptive and antibacterial properties for promoting wound healing, we construct a series of double-network hydrogels (PDSR hydrogel) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), dialdehyde sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC), and silk fibroin (SF) as the matrix, which introduced Rhein as antibacterial agent and incorporation of borate ester bonds and dynamic Schiff base bonds to endow the hydrogel with excellent antibacterial property and adaptability. The PDSR hydrogels possessed excellent mechanical properties and good tissue adhesion ability. The rat tail amputation performance revealed the PDSR hydrogel exhibited superior hemostatic capacity. Furthermore, the PDSR hydrogel demonstrated significant antibacterial efficacy, achieving inhibition rates exceeding 99 % against both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Most importantly, the in vivo evaluation further confirmed that PDSR hydrogel can significantly promote wound healing by enhancing collagen deposition, which achieved a wound healing rate of up to 99.9 % within 14 days, thus may have great potential application value in the field of wound dressing.