Astragalus polysaccharide/carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate based electroconductive hydrogels for diabetic wound healing and muscle function assessment

Natural polysaccharides with excellent biocompatibility are considered ideal materials for repairing diabetic foot ulcer. However, diabetic foot ulcer is often accompanied by decreased muscle function, even resulting in muscle atrophy. During wound repair, monitoring muscle function at the wound site in real time can identify the decreased muscle strength timely, which is crucial for precise wound rehabilitation. Nevertheless, the majority of hydrogels are primarily utilized for wound healing and lack the capability for electromyography monitoring.

Here, we designed a multinetwork hydrogel composed of astragalus polysaccharide, chitosan, and sodium alginate and internally embedded conductive PPy-PDA-MnO₂ nanoparticles (P-NPs) loaded with resveratrol (Res) for wound repair and muscle function assessment. The intrinsic hypoglycemic and anti-inflammatory properties of astragalus polysaccharides, combined with the antioxidative and proangiogenic functions of Res, synergistically facilitate wound healing. The multinetwork structure affords the hydrogel excellent mechanical properties. Furthermore, the addition of conductive NPs not only improves the mechanical performance of the hydrogel but also confers electrical conductivity. The conductive hydrogel acts as an epidermal electrode which can be utilized for monitoring of electromyography signals. This novel approach for treating diabetic wounds ultimately achieves improved wound repair and muscle function assessment, carrying out a monitoring-guided safe and accurate wound repair.