A hydrogel based on Bletilla striata polysaccharide and hyaluronic acid topically administers tetramethylpyrazine for diabetic wound therapy

The delayed and incomplete wound healing often gives rise to the disability and mortality of diabetic patients. Conventional regimens are frequently inefficient to achieve diabetic wound recovery, and innovative alternatives are therefore needed to provide therapeutic benefits. Over the past decades, the advances in phytomedicines have revolutionized the field of wound healing and tissue regeneration. In the present study, tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an alkaloid isolated from Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, was applied for diabetic wound treatment. A hydrogel was developed using two biopolymers namely Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) for facilitating in situ administration of TMP on full-thickness wound in mice with streptozocin-induced diabetes. The resulting hydrogel formulation (termed TMP-BSP-HA) fulfilled inflammation attenuation, blood vessel growth, and collagen deposition. Consequently, TMP-BSP-HA significantly expedited diabetic wound healing relative to a TMP-loaded hydrogel formulation prepared by INTRASITE Gel (a commercial carboxymethylcellulose-based wound dressing). The present study demonstrates the pro-healing efficacy of TMP-BSP-HA, and provides a promising approach for diabetic wound therapy.