Nanostructured hyaluronic acid-chia mucilage film as bioactive wound dressings for accelerated skin regeneration.

Abstract

Scar formation after skin injury remains a major clinical challenge because most conventional wound dressings promote closure rather than tissue regeneration, often resulting in fibrosis. Although several biomaterials, such as collagen, chitosan, alginate, gelatin, and zein, have been explored to improve healing outcomes, the attainment of truly scar-free regeneration remains a significant challenge. In this study, we developed a bioactive nanocomposite wound dressing by incorporating hyaluronic acid nanoparticles (HANs) into a natural mucilage matrix extracted from chia seeds. The HANs were synthesized via flash nanoprecipitation, resulting in a uniform particle size of 173 ± 1 nm. When embedded into the chia mucilage film via solvent casting, the resulting dressing exhibited tunable hydrophilicity and adequate mechanical integrity (tensile strength of 2.2 MPa). In vitro assessments demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility and the promotion of wound healing activities. Furthermore, chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays revealed significantly enhanced angiogenesis in the bioactive films compared to controls, indicating superior regenerative potential. Crucially, in vivo studies using a full-thickness rat wound model evidenced accelerated re-epithelialization and tissue regeneration within 17 days. Collectively, this naturally derived, nanoengineered platform offers a cost-effective and biologically active strategy for promoting skin regeneration.