Preparation and characterization of tannin-maltodextrin-polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel based on hydrogen bonding for wound healing

The development of multifunctional and low-cost hydrogel dressings with good mechanical properties, antibacterial activity, and nontoxicity is of great relevance in healthcare. This study aimed to prepare a series of hydrogels consisting of maltodextrin (MD), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and tannic acid (TA) through a freeze-thaw cycling technique. Micro-acid hydrogels with different mass ratios (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 wt%) were obtained by adjusting the TA content. Among all hydrogels, TA-MP2 hydrogels (with a TA content of 0.5 wt%) showed good physicochemical and mechanical properties. In addition, the biocompatibility of TA-MP2 hydrogels was confirmed by the high cell survival rate of NIH3T3 cells, which was over 90% after 24 h and 48 h of incubation. Additionally, TA-MP2 hydrogels showed multifunctional properties, including antibacterial and antioxidative effects. In vivo experiments showed that TA-MP2 hydrogel dressings significantly accelerated wound healing in a full-layer skin wound model. These findings indicated the potential of TA-MP2 hydrogel dressings in promoting wound healing.