Oxidized Alginate Supplemented Gelatin Hydrogels for the In Situ Formation of Wound Dressing with High Antibacterial Activity

The development of antibacterial wound dressing with easily removable characteristic and highly exudate absorption is becoming a major requirement in the treatment of chronic wounds. In this study, the in situ forming gelatin/oxidized alginate-tyramine hydrogels (GH/OATA) were designed to overcome the current limitations. These hybrid hydrogels were quickly and controllably formed from several seconds to a few minutes by horseradish peroxidase/H 2 O 2 . The hybrid hydrogels at the optimal composition of GH/OATA 50/50 v/v showed the unique feature including stiffness being similar to skin, high swelling ratio due to the hydrophilic property of oxidized alginate, low adhesive strength allowing for the easy dressing removal without pain. In addition, the hybrid hydrogels could release the H 2 O 2 amount sustainably to kill bacteria. Furthermore, 3D culture of human dermal fibroblasts inside hybrid hydrogels achieved more than 80% cell proliferation which implies the cell-compatibility.