Annealing-Fabricated Poria cocos Glucan-Tannic Acid Composite Hydrogels: Integrated Multifunctionality for Accelerated Wound Healing

TL;DR

A new wound dressing made from a composite hydrogel accelerates healing by combining moisture retention, antibacterial properties, and antioxidant effects.

Contribution

A scalable annealing method fabricates PCG-TA composite hydrogels with multifunctional properties for advanced wound healing.

Findings

The composite hydrogel showed balanced porosity and swelling with enhanced mechanical rigidity.

TA release was temperature-responsive, and the hydrogel exhibited high antioxidant and antibacterial activity.

In vivo tests showed accelerated wound closure and enhanced collagen deposition in rats.

Abstract

Multifunctional wound dressings integrating moisture retention, antibacterial activity, and bioactive delivery are in demand, yet balancing structural stability and functional synergy in polysaccharide hydrogels remains a challenge. This study focused on developing such advanced dressings. Poria cocos glucan (PCG) hydrogels were fabricated via annealing, with PCG-4 (4 wt.%) identified as the optimal matrix. PCG-tannic acid (TA) composite hydrogels were subsequently prepared via TA loading, followed by systematic property characterization and in vivo wound healing evaluation in a rat full-thickness wound model. The composite hydrogel exhibited balanced porosity (56.7 ± 3.4%) and swelling (705.5 ± 11.3%), along with enhanced mechanical rigidity. It enabled temperature-responsive TA release, coupled with high antioxidant activity and antibacterial efficacy. Additionally, it showed excellent biocompatibility (hemolysis rate <2%; NIH-3T3 cell viability >98%) and accelerated rat wound closure with enhanced collagen deposition, suggesting a beneficial combined effect of the composite’s components. PCG-TA holds promise as an advanced wound dressing, and the scalable annealing fabrication strategy supports its translational application potential.

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