Dual-Crosslinked Gelatin/Chondroitin Sulfate Hydrogel Loaded with Curcumin Liposomes for Multifunctional Wound Dressing

Despite the widespread use of gelatin (Gel) in wound dressings due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and intrinsic bioactivity, it remains challenging to simultaneously achieve robust mechanical properties and multiple biofunctions in a single hydrogel system. Herein, we constructed a Gel/oxidized chondroitin sulfate (OCS) dynamic Schiff-base network and further introduced triglycidylamine (TGA) as a covalent crosslinker, yielding a Gel/OCS/TGA hydrogel with a proposed dynamic/covalent dual-crosslinked structure. Curcumin liposomes (Cur@Lipo), prepared using microfluidic technology, were then incorporated as bioactive nanofillers to obtain the multifunctional Gel/OCS/TGA/Cur@Lipo composite hydrogel. The hydrogel exhibited self-healing and injectable behavior, which may be associated with the reversible dynamic bonds present in the network. By adjusting the TGA content, the composite hydrogel achieved a tensile strength of 315 kPa, an elongation at break of 258%, and a compressive stress of 72 kPa at 60% strain. Moreover, the hydrogel exhibited sustained curcumin release, marked antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of 59.8% and 83.98%, respectively), and antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus (>99.99%), while maintaining good cytocompatibility. In summary, Gel/OCS/TGA/Cur@Lipo multifunctional composite hydrogel is a promising candidate for wound dressing applications, although further in vivo studies are required to confirm its clinical applicability.