Nanoclay-Triggered In Situ Self-Gelling Yam Microparticles via Coagulation Activation for Robust Wet Tissue Adhesion and Instant Hemostasis

Gel-type hemostatic agents possess irreplaceable advantages over other material forms in managing irregular wounds and deep tissue bleeding. However, their clinical application remains limited in treating lethal massive hemorrhage due to inadequate fluid absorption, swelling-induced detachment, and insufficient procoagulant activity. This study developed a coagulation-mediated self-gelling microparticle powder composed of Yam mucilage and halloysite nanoclay (HNTs) for robust wet tissue adhesion and rapid massive hemorrhage control. The microparticles in ∼20 μm spontaneously form through physical interactions (hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and surface encapsulation effects) between the HNTs and Yam mucilage, which exhibit excellent rehydration capacity and achieve autonomous gelation via the procoagulant properties of the HNTs. Yam@HNT microparticle-treated blood induced immediate hydrogel layer formation at the blood-material interface within 1 min, followed by complete blood coagulation within 2 min, which represented a 7.5-fold acceleration compared to that of raw blood. In vitro hemostasis/adhesion tests and rat models of liver/arterial massive hemorrhage confirmed its excellent hemostatic performance, strong tissue adhesion, and biocompatibility. The Yam@HNT microparticles accelerate clotting through an intrinsic coagulation pathway activation, platelet aggregation, and hemorheological modulation. This natural plant-derived mucilage and biocompatible clay composite microparticles achieve in situ fluid absorption, coagulation-triggered self-gelling, and durable adhesion, which provides an effective treatment strategy for emergency hemostasis of complex wounds.