Preparation, characterization, and biological evaluation of <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> hemicellulose-based composites for wound healing

The development of new strategies and biomaterials to augment the healing process is essential to overcome the emerging challenges encountered in treating and managing chronic wounds. The present study aimed to develop and characterize hemicellulose-based (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> seed) 3D composite (sponges) and evaluate their suitability for wound healing <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. The composite sponge formulations (CF) were fabricated by blending <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> (<i>OB</i>) seed hemicellulose with other polysaccharides, followed by crosslinking using glutaraldehyde (as crosslinker) and freeze-drying. These composites were characterized using CHNS, FTIR, SEM, and TGA-DSC techniques. Then swelling, microbial penetration, cytocompatibility, effect on blood coagulation, and <i>in vivo</i> wound healing effect were investigated to evaluate the suitability of composites for wound healing. The findings suggest that composites were non-toxic, compatible with human blood, and prevented the penetration of Gram + ve and Gram -ve bacteria. The composite sponges treated rats (as an implant) exhibited faster healing than the control. The findings of this study suggest that these <i>Ocimum basilicum-based</i> composites (sponges) are promising biomaterials for wound healing/tissue engineering applications as they exhibit the potential to augment tissue regeneration.