Developing multifunctional pectin-based hydrogel for wound dressing: In silico, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Multifunctional hydrogel wound dressing with high hemostatic, antioxidant, and self-healing activity is desirable in clinical applications. In this contribution, we developed two distinct hydrogel formulations, namely PZ and PTBA, by employing low methoxyl pectin (P), zeolite, or 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) for sustained release of procaine (PC) in a controlled manner up to 40 h. These hydrogel systems (PZ and PTBA) utilize dynamic reversible hydrogen bonds between the components and a metal coordination bond between carboxyl acid groups of pectin chains and Ca²⁺ to confer self-healing properties, as demonstrated by molecular dynamics (MD) and rheological analyses. Moreover, PZ and PTBA hydrogels possess superior antioxidant, hemostasis, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activities. The data from the mouse skin incision model and infected full-thickness skin wound model demonstrated the highest wound closure rate (wound closure area per day) was achieved by the PZ (4.72) and PTBA (4.62) groups on day 21, which was better than the control (4.2) and Kaltostat groups (4.05) (p < 0.05). PZ and PTBA's effectiveness in wound closure and acceleration of the wound healing process, highlighting its significant potential in wound management.