Gallium Oxide Nanoparticle-Loaded, Quaternized Chitosan-Oxidized Sodium Alginate Hydrogels for Treatment of Bacteria-Infected Wounds

Delayed wound healing usually involves bacterial infection and hemorrhage. Antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics further worsen the problem. Nanoparticle hydrogel systems aimed at controlling hemorrhage and bacterial infection, without the chances of developing resistance, have recently generated significant research interest as efficient wound dressings. In this work, we have developed a multifunctional, β-Ga2O3 nanoparticle-loaded quaternized chitosan-oxidized sodium alginate hydrogels for antibacterial, antibiofilm, and hemostatic applications. The hydrogels demonstrated enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging activity of >85%, broad-spectrum antibacterial ability of around 90% against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, antibiofilm activity, and hemostatic potential by taking advantage of intrinsic hemostatic, antioxidative, and antibacterial properties of quaternized chitosan along with the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of gallium nanoparticles. The scratch assay performed on L929 cells showed the complete closure of scratch in 24 h, emphasizing its potential as a drug-free, multifunctional material in wound dressings. As per our knowledge, this is for the first time that the effect of β-Ga2O3 nanoparticle-loaded quaternized chitosan-oxidized sodium alginate hydrogels has been investigated as a treatment strategy for bacteria-infected wounds.