Antibacterial methacrylamide chitosan-modified viscose/poly(ε-caprolactone) hydrogel membranes for wound healing

Development of antibacterial dressings for wound treatment is especially worthwhile. Herein, ChMA/tannic acid modified viscose or poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibrous hydrogel membranes with great antibacterial properties were fabricated to accelerate wound healing. The morphology, chemical structure, swelling capacity, degradation, mechanical and antibacterial properties and cell viability of the modified membranes were investigated. The ChMA/tannic acid-modified viscose membranes exhibited a larger swelling ratio of ca. 200% and a lower degradability than the modified-PCL membrane. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the ChMA/tannic acid modified PCL membrane were about 3.2 ± 0.4 MPa and 618.2 ± 18.2%, respectively, larger than the values of the modified viscose membrane. Simultaneously, the ChMA/TA-modified PCL membrane was 98% effective against S. aureus and had a 91% DPPH free radical scavenging capacity. Moreover, the as-prepared modified hydrogel membranes enabled the maintenance of high bioavailability of tannic acid and synchronization with the porous structure of the ChMA hydrogels, which enhanced the wound healing performance in vivo. Considering the better mechanical properties and relatively long-lasting drug release behavior of PCL ultrafine fibers, ChMA/tannic acid-modified PCL hydrogel membranes have great potential in wound dressings.