Fabrication and characterization of ferric ion cross-linked hyaluronic acid/pectin-based injectable hydrogel with antibacterial ability

The use of self-healing hydrogels in wound dressings can protect them from mechanical damage, thus extending their lifespan. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and pectin (PT) cross-linked with multivalent ions have been widely investigated as hydrogel candidates for tissue engineering. However, the fabrication of injectable hydrogels via the mixing of HA and PT and the subsequent characterization of their properties have yet to be reported. In this study, to overcome the limitations of conventional hydrogels, we fabricated a hydrogel with rapid self-healing properties and high antibacterial activity by testing various mixing ratios of HA and PT using Fe3+ crosslinking. The properties of the HA/PT hydrogels were subsequently analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and rheological analysis. The optimal Fe3+-cross-linked HA/PT hydrogel exhibited great potential for use in wound-healing applications due to its self-healing properties, which arise from the interaction between Fe3+ and the –COOH groups of HA and PT. In addition, the proposed hydrogel demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa due to the release of Fe3+ during the hydrogel degradation process while not being toxic for human dermal fibroblast cells. Collectively, these results suggest that the proposed HA/PT hydrogel holds great promise for use in tissue regeneration.