Mechanical and Cell-Adhesive Properties of Gelatin/Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogels and Their Application in Wound Dressing

Gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (g/P) porous hydrogels are chemically and physically crosslinked to evaluate the influence of the g/P weight ratio on the mechanical properties and cell adhesion behavior of the composite hydrogels. The degradation rate, pore size, and swelling rate of the g/P hydrogels decreased when the g/P ratio was lowered from 10/0 to 0/10 owing to the presence of PVA. Although the compressive strength increased with the increase in the PVA proportion in g/P hydrogels, no cell adhesion was observed in pure PVA due to the absence of ligands that bind to cell-surface receptors. Hydrogels with properties tailored for wound dressings can be obtained by adjusting the specific proportions of gelatin and PVA. We conclude that 5/5 and 7/3 g/P hydrogels can be applied as wound healing biomaterials because of their suitable mechanical properties, and their ability to facilitate rapid cell adhesion and proliferation.