Multifunctional Ionic Composite Hydrogel with Curcumin Capsule for Promoting Infected Wound Healing

Wound infection complicated by excessive inflammation remains a persistent challenge in clinical healthcare. Curcumin (Cur), a natural diketone compound, holds therapeutic potential in treating infected wounds. However, its application is limited by poor aqueous dispersibility and low stability. To overcome this dilemma, a versatile capsule as an effective Cur carrier is developed by encapsulating Cur in succinic acid-modified cyclodextrin via hydrophobic interactions, and then loading it into a Zn²⁺-mediated crosslinked injectable hydrogel for infected wound healing. The composite hydrogel exhibits adjustable rheological properties, modulus, swelling ratios, and degradation rate by control over Zn²⁺ concentration. This unique tactic enables the sustained Cur release, ensuring long-term antioxidant activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. An in vivo experiment in a rat S. aureus-infected wound model demonstrates that the composite hydrogel significantly accelerates wound healing by massacring bacteria, inhibiting inflammation, as well as promoting collagen deposition and angiogenesis. Overall, this effort paves the way for arming Cur, offering a potent antibiotic-free candidate for bacteria-invaded wound management.