One-pot method to prepare the guar gum hydrogel dressing and its application in wound repair

Background The skin serves as a critical barrier, safeguarding the body against external threats including bacteria, viruses, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Compromised skin integrity can result in pain, hinder daily activities, and elevate the risk of infections. Clinically, dressings are the conventional treatment for skin injuries. However, these often necessitate frequent replacements and may exacerbate wound trauma during removal. Therefore, there is growing interest in developing innovative dressings such as hydrogels, which are celebrated for their softness, adaptability, permeability, and capacity to sustain a moist wound environment. Guar gum, a galactomannan polysaccharide extensively utilized in the food and biomedical sectors, forms highly viscous, biocompatible hydrogels that are promising for medical applications including capsules and wound dressings. Nonetheless, the mechanical strength and antimicrobial properties of guar gum hydrogels require enhancements for optimal medical efficacy. Objective This study explores the fortification of guar gum (GG) hydrogels with tannic acid (TA) and citric acid (CA), which are known for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, to develop injectable, antimicrobial hydrogel dressings. Methods Employing a one-pot synthesis method, this research aimed to create dressings for treating skin injuries in murine models. The hydrogels were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), assessed for antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus , and evaluated for biocompatibility and therapeutic effectiveness in mice with full-thickness skin injuries. Results The results demonstrated successful cross-linking, structural stability, and significant enhancement in wound healing, indicating the potential of these GG-CA-TA hydrogel dressings to broaden the scope of guar gum applications in clinical skin restoration. Conclusion In this study, a kind of Guar gum hydrogel was successfully synthesized by one-pot method, which has great potential in clinical skin repair.