Synthesis and Characterization of a Multifunctional Quercetin-Silk Sericin Hydrogel Formulation

Multifunctional wound healing silver-based compounds are of preclinical trials, especially phytocompounds with high antioxidant and wound healing activity. Phytocompounds have been widely used as wound healing agents due to their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. The primary goal of this project is to develop a natural, effective wound healing agent that controls microbial growth and promotes healing. In this study, silver nanoparticles were reduced by Quercetin, leveraging its natural properties to create a promising wound healing agent which then emulsified in a silk sericin hydrogel matrix. Even though, Quercetin is a widely used natural antioxidant and wound regenerative agent, its bioavailability and biostability is very low. To overcome this, a quercetin Nano formulation with silver has been formulated, a strong antimicrobial agent. The nanocomposite was characterized through Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UVVisible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. These nanoparticles were then capped with the protein, silk sericin for an effective fibroblast migration as well as slow and consistent drug delivery. The cytotoxicity of the drug hydrogel composite was then analysed by evaluating hemocompatibility properties. The system demonstrated beneficial properties highlighting its promise as a natural, cost-effective wound healing agent.