A Facile and Biocompatible Hydrogel Based on Oxidized <i>Brachybotrys paridiformis</i> Polysaccharide for Enhanced Wound Healing

Brachybotrys paridiformis polysaccharide (BPP) was extracted from the edible plant B. paridiformis, and its extraction conditions were systematically optimized using single-factor experiments combined with response surface methodology. Building upon the extracted BPP, an innovative hydrogel wound dressing was fabricated via a Schiff base reaction between oxidized BPP (OBPP) and O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS). The resulting OBPP/CMCS hydrogel displayed a highly interconnected porous architecture and desirable swelling characteristics, along with excellent biocompatibility and the ability to promote human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) migration in vitro. In vivo studies demonstrated the hydrogel’s outstanding wound-healing performance, characterized by accelerated wound closure and scar-suppressed tissue regeneration. By day 9, the hydrogel-treated group showed a significantly smaller wound area (7.59 ± 1.83%) compared with the control group (44.14 ± 18.22%). By day 15, the hydrogel group achieved nearly complete healing, featuring smooth, scab-free skin, in contrast to the incomplete recovery observed in other groups. These findings underscore the hydrogel’s strong potential as an effective and multifunctional wound dressing.