Copper-Based Metal–Organic Framework-Reinforced Chitosan–Gelatin Hydrogel Incorporating Euphorbia cotinifolia Extract for Advanced Wound Dressing Application

Abstract Metal–organic framework (MOF)-based hydrogels have garnered interest in recent years as wound dressing materials. Considering the limitations of long-term antibiotic use, such as drug resistance, plant extracts offer an alternative approach to wound management. In this study, a Cu MOF-based composite hydrogel (MOF@Gel) was synthesized using natural polysaccharides such as chitosan and gelatin. The synthesized MOF-composite hydrogel (MOF@Gel) was characterized using different techniques such as FT-IR, PXRD, rheology, and FE-SEM. The hydrogel demonstrated injectability and self-healing ability, with a higher water absorption capacity under alkaline pH conditions, which is important for a wound dressing. Incorporation of Euphorbia cotinifolia extract, an underexplored plant source from the North-East region of India, with important bioactive constituents, into the hydrogel further enhanced the therapeutic potential in terms of antioxidant and antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Along with the release of the extract, copper ions were also released from the hydrogel matrix, which was investigated using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Involving MOF to construct a hydrogel can raise concerns about the material’s cytocompatibility. Accordingly, cytocompatibility was assessed using C2C12 myoblast cells, which exhibited a cytocompatibility of 70.60 ± 2.12% at a concentration of 3 mg/mL. The biodegradability studies were also conducted which achieved more than 90% weight loss in 15 days. These evaluations revealed its potential for therapeutic delivery of extracts and copper ions up to concentrations within safe biological limits and thus proving beneficial for wound dressing applications.