# 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.

## Key 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.