A polysaccharide/chitin hydrogel wound dressing from a Periplanattica americana residue: coagulation, antioxidant activity, and wound healing properties

Pharmaceuticals derived from the raw materials of Periplanattica americana have been applied for wound healing, liver disease treatment, and antitumor therapy. However, the resulting residues of P. americana have not been well exploited. We found that P. americana residues comprised high amounts of chitin (PC) and polysaccharides (PAP) exhibit good biological activity. Compared to shrimp-derived chitin, PC has a smaller molecular weight (Mv), lower crystallinity, and looser molecular structure, demonstrating stronger antioxidant activity and degradability. After adding the PAP, the PC solution rapidly lost fluidity and formed a hydrogel (P/PCGEL) that had antioxidation, biodegradability, and injectability properties and exhibited rapid coagulation, good water absorption and retention, and a low hemolysis rate (HR). In vivo studies reported that the P/PCGEL reduced edema during burns, accelerated collagen synthesis and deposition, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, thereby reducing the inflammatory response, avoiding oxidative stress, and effectively promoting wound healing. Furthermore, the P/PCGEL demonstrated good biocompatibility, rapid biodegradation, and injectability, thereby reducing the risk of trauma and infection engendered by repeated wound opening and dressing changes. These properties also demonstrated the potential application for this hydrogel in preparing injectable hydrogel excipients. Hence, this study provided a hydrogel-formed wound dressing comprising pure natural ingredients and offering convenient administration, economic availability, and strong tissue repair ability.