Electrostatic induced peptide hydrogel containing PHMB for sustained antibacterial activity

The bacterial problem seriously endangers public sanitation, especially in wounds, bacteria grow easily and hinder wound healing. In response to the problem of bacterial hazards, we constructed an antibacterial hydrogel by negatively charged peptide Fmoc-FFWDD-OH and positively charged poly (hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB) through electrostatic interaction. The hydrogel has pH sensitivity and can accurately release the antibacterial agent PHMB under acidic conditions (wound environment), and slow down the release rate and cumulative release amount of PHMB under weak alkaline conditions (physiological environment), so as to reduce the side effects during use. Through the simulation of release model, the release process conformed to the diffusion release mechanism, achieving the sustained release of antibacterial content. In addition, it has been elucidated by various methods that the hydrogel can completely kill bacteria by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane structure and prevent bacterial regrowth. Compared with PHMB, the formation of hydrogel has higher biocompatibility through CKK-8 assays, which may have potential application prospects in the treatment of bacterial-related wounds.