Self-healable and dual-functional guar gum-grafted-polyacrylamidoglycolic acid-based hydrogels with nano-silver for wound dressings

Dual-functional carbohydrate polymer-based silver nanocomposite (AgNC) hydrogels with self-healing, injectable, and bacterial inactivation properties have attracted particular attention in the wound dressing field. In this study, a rapid formation of AgNC hydrogels were prepared via in situ addition of guar gum-grafted-polyacrylamidoglycolic acid (GG-g-PAGA) polymer and silver nitrate (AgNO₃) and sodium borohydride (NaBH₄). The GG-g-PAGA polymer and its AgNC hydrogels were analyzed by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, UV–vis spectra, FE-SEM, EDX, and FE-TEM. The GG-g-PAGA@AgNC hydrogels exhibited self-healing ability, injectability, stretchability, flowability, high swelling, porosity, upright mechanical behavior, and biodegradability. Moreover, their bacterial inactivation and cytotoxicity were tested against wound pathogens and skin fibroblast cells, respectively. Therefore, incorporating GG-g-PAGA@AgNC hydrogels could be a versatile strategy to speed up wound healing processes, but a clinical trial is still required for its medical applications.