Gallium Oxide Nanoparticle-Loaded, Quaternized Chitosan-Oxidized Sodium Alginate Hydrogels for Treatment of Bacteria-Infected Wounds

Abstract

Delayed wound healing usually involves bacterial infection and hemorrhage. Antibiotic resistance and biofilmformation caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics further worsen the problem. Nanoparticle hydrogel systems aimed atcontrolling hemorrhage and bacterial infection, without the chances of developing resistance, have recently generated significantresearch interest as efficient wound dressings. In this work, we have developed a multifunctional, β-Ga2O3 nanoparticle-loadedquaternized chitosan-oxidized sodium alginate hydrogels for antibacterial, antibiofilm, and hemostatic applications. The hydrogelsdemonstrated enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging activity of >85%, broad-spectrum antibacterial ability of around 90%against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, antibiofilm activity, and hemostatic potential by taking advantage of intrinsichemostatic, antioxidative, and antibacterial properties of quaternized chitosan along with the antibacterial and antibiofilm propertiesof gallium nanoparticles. The scratch assay performed on L929 cells showed the complete closure of scratch in 24 h, emphasizing itspotential as a drug-free, multifunctional material in wound dressings. As per our knowledge, this is for the first time that the effect ofβ-Ga2O3 nanoparticle-loaded quaternized chitosan-oxidized sodium alginate hydrogels has been investigated as a treatment strategyfor bacteria-infected wounds.