Injectable sodium alginate hydrogel loaded with plant polyphenol-functionalized silver nanoparticles for bacteria-infected wound healing.

A novel injectable hydrogel dressing (GA@AgNPs-SA) with long-term antimicrobial effect is developed that can accelerate the closure of bacteria-infected wounds. The hydrogel dressing was prepared by cross-linking sodium alginate molecular chains and gallic acid functionalized silver nanoparticles (GA@AgNPs) via calcium ions to form a three-dimensional network. The hydrogel dressing demonstrates excellent biocompatibility and can achieve a sustainable release of silver ions, ensuring a long-term antibacterial activity and inhibiting biofilm formation. Moreover, an in vivo study demonstrates that the GA@AgNPs-SA hydrogel can effectively decrease the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α to alleviate the inflammatory response, and promote angiogenesis by upregulating CD31, α-SMA and VEGF expression, thus significantly accelerating the repair of infected wounds. Given these interesting properties, this antibacterial hydrogel has great potential for application in the clinical care of bacteria-infected wounds.