PVA-gelatine based hydrogel loaded with astaxanthin and mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles for wound healing

Astaxanthin (AST) is a potent antioxidant phytochemical used in wound healing with promising results in-vitro . However, AST incorporation into clinical practice still faces challenges related to the susceptibility of AST to instability. One of the most innovative solutions proposed is the encapsulation of AST into hydrogels. This study focuses on innovating the wound healing potential of AST-containing hydrogels by introducing silicate mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs). These nanoparticles release biologically active ions that accelerate cell proliferation and migration. The results showcase an innovative synergistic effect between 1 μg/mL of AST with 100 μg/mL of MBGNs, outperforming the individual proliferation effect of AST or MBGNs alone. Separately, these compounds were encapsulated in physical and chemical cross-linked hydrogel for the compound protection and delivery, finding that PVA-gelatine hydrogels are a suitable matrix for the delivery of AST and MBGNs. Physically crosslinked hydrogels showed particularly convenient characteristics for potential clinical implementation while maintaining the synergetic effect of AST and MBGNs. Although chemically crosslinked hydrogels exhibited suitable characteristics as a vehicle for AST in biological assays, cell proliferation was reduced by 57 %. The results of this research open avenues for exploring the development of new composite matrices for the co-delivery of phytochemicals and MBGNs for cutting-edge biomedical applications.