Nanomangostin-loaded chitosan aerogel: a multifunctional biomaterial for hemostasis, anti-bacteria and wound healing

The rise in wound infections underscores the need for chitosan-based biomaterials, which, when loaded with bioactive agents, provide antibacterial, wound-healing, and effective long-term drug delivery capabilities. In this study, a chitosan-based dressing loaded with<i>α</i>-mangostin was successfully fabricated in the form of an aerogel. The new aerogel, incorporating<i>α</i>-mangostin prepared as nanoparticles (nanomangostin), exhibited multifunctional activities including wound healing, hemostasis, and antibacterial effects. A crosslinked network structure was created using glutaraldehyde (GA) at a concentration of 14 g g^-1, resulting in a highly hydrophilic matrix that modulates the water absorption capacity of the chitosan aerogel-an essential characteristic for both hemostatic function and wound healing. The cytotoxicity of the aerogel was evaluated on HaCaT cells using the MTT assay. Results showed that aerogel concentrations ranging from 5 to 80 µg ml^-1were non-toxic to HaCaT cells across all 12, 24, and 48 h treatment groups. Interestingly, the aerogel stimulated HaCaT cell migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Treatments at 20, 40 and 80 µg ml^-1significantly enhanced HaCaT cell migration at all groups. Notably, the 40 and 80 µg ml^-1group at 48 h displayed the highest migration rate (up to 95.98%) compared to the untreated control (71.43%,<i>p</i>< 0.05). Moreover, the nanomangostin-loaded chitosan aerogel demonstrated clear antibacterial activity. A stronger inhibitory effect was observed against<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>ATCC 25 923 compared to<i>Escherichia coli</i>ATCC 25 922. These findings highlight the potential of nanomangostin-loaded chitosan aerogels for biomedical applications, particularly in wound healing and antimicrobial coatings.