Berberine-Derived Quantum Dot Hydrogels as Potential Antimicrobial Wound Dressing for Photothermal Therapy and Visual Wound Monitoring

Antibiotic resistance crisis necessitates the development of non-antibiotic antimicrobial biomaterials. Quaternized quantum dots (QDs) derived from berberine hydrochloride, a traditional Chinese medicine, exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity through synergistic photothermal-chemical mechanisms. However, their complex chemistry and action mechanisms remain unclear. This study reports the design of berberine-derived QD (BerQD) and its application in multifunctional hydrogel wound dressings. BerQD retained the quaternary ammonium group of berberine while generating six new surface-modified components, which inhibited FabH activity in S. aureus and E. coli via molecular docking. The hydrogels (PVA/SA/BerQD) were fabricated via a freeze-thawing process, demonstrating significant photothermal antibacterial efficacy: 2.66% S. aureus and 1.34% E. coli survival rates post-808 nm NIR irradiation. Additionally, the dressings enabled real-time in situ wound pH monitoring via RGB signal analysis. The berberine-QD hydrogels exhibited negligible cytotoxicity and low hemolytic activity, highlighting their potential as advanced antimicrobial wound dressings with integrated therapeutic and diagnostic functions.