Characterization of a green-synthesized heteropolysaccharide with promising diabetic wound healing potential

Natural polysaccharides are increasingly explored for use in biomaterials, such as wound dressings, due to their excellent biocompatibility, low toxicity, and beneficial biomedical properties. This research investigates a natural polysaccharide hydrogel prepared using Laurus nobilis leaves (LNSP) and its in vivo potential to facilitate wound healing of a diabetic animal model. The results indicated a molecular weight of 105.37 kDa for the newly extracted polysaccharide. This heteropolysaccharide is composed of glucose (31.22 %), galactose (20.91 %), mannose (15.25 %), xylose (14.85 %), ribose (9.2 %), and rhamnose (8.57 %). Our findings showed that LNSP polysaccharide possesses antibacterial activity, acts as a potential antioxidant source, and exhibits no cytotoxic effects on human HEK-293 cells. In addition to displaying typical hydrogel characteristics, it also presents properties that promote wound re-epithelialization, replicate the structure of skin and stimulate skin regeneration in a diabetic rat model. Notably, it significantly improved the rate of wound contraction, reaching 100 % after 14 days. Histological assessment demonstrated that the LNSP hydrogel enhances re-epithelization and epidermal regeneration in diabetic rats compared to other treatment groups. This novel polysaccharide has been explored for dual applications: as a wound dressing and as a medium for direct drug delivery to the lesion site.