Synthesis and evaluation of haemocompatible, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties, and acute oral toxicity of a methacrylic acid mediated glucoxylan for wound healing applications

Herein, a copolymeric hydrogel comprising a naturally occurring swellable biopolymer, i.e., glucoxylan (a major polysaccharide of chia seed mucilage (CM)) and methacrylic acid (MA), was synthesized through free radical polymerization for wound healing applications. The formation of CM-co-MA was authenticated through FTIR spectroscopy. The CM-co-MA appeared non-hemolytic and non-thrombogenic, and exhibited noteworthy antioxidant potential with DPPH scavenging activity ranging from 18.68 to 47.70 µg AAE µg/mL, FRAP activity from 32.22 to 63.70 µg AAE µg/mL, TFC from 27.91 to 73.59 µg QE/mL, and TPC from 26.95 to 58.21 µg GAE/mL. The CM-co-MA showed antibacterial activities against Listeria monocytogenes (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), having a zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 27.87 and 23.00 mm, respectively. The antifungal activities were recorded against Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans, and found the length of growth inhibition of 72 and 76 mm, respectively. The acute oral toxicity study, acute dermal toxicity, and eye irritation test demonstrated the non-toxic, innocuous, and non-irritant attributes of the CM-co-MA, respectively. All animals stayed alive without any significant abnormalities during the 14 day study, and all hematological and biochemical parameters of the control and experimental group animals were comparable. Histopathology of the vital organs of rabbits also showed normal cellular architecture without any abnormalities. A wound healing study on rabbits revealed the tissue regeneration, with 84.40% recovery in treated rabbits after 14 days, and comparable with the positive control. Hence, the CM-co-MA is considered a non-toxic material having haemocompatibility, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities for potential application in wound healing.