Thiolated tamarind seed polymer–chitosan composite scaffolds for enhanced skin tissue regeneration

The present study focuses on the formulation and evaluation of a tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP)-based scaffold for promoting skin tissue regeneration. The TSP was extracted and chemically modified through thiolation, which boosted its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing abilities, while also improving its mucoadhesive properties. Composite scaffolds were developed using thiolated TSP and chitosan, with cinnamaldehyde incorporated to improve structural crosslinking. The scaffolds were characterized for their physicochemical properties, including functional group analysis (FTIR), thermal behavior (DSC), crystallinity (XRD), swelling, porosity, degradation, and water vapor transmission. Among the formulations, the optimized scaffold (S3) exhibited a swelling index of 310.42 ± 2.14%, porosity of 78.65 ± 1.03%, and hydrolytic degradation of 28.46 ± 0.94% over 7 days, along with good moisture retention and pronounced antibacterial effects. Cytotoxicity evaluation using the MTT assay confirmed its safety on human dermal fibroblasts. <i>In vivo</i> wound healing studies in rats revealed significantly enhanced wound contraction (96.32 ± 1.12% by day 14), improved collagen deposition, and complete epithelial regeneration, as supported by histological analysis. These findings suggest that the developed thiolated TSP-chitosan scaffold could serve as an effective and natural alternative for wound healing applications.