Diabetic wounds, as the most common type of chronic wounds, represent a significant challenge in public health. These wounds are generally treated relatively well in the early stages, but due to underlying pathological conditions, they are prone to revert to the inflammatory phase. Therefore, the development of wound dressings with protective capabilities, acceleration of healing, an‎d infection prevention is of great importance. The present study aims to fabricate an‎d characterize a gelatin-based hydrogel wound dressing containing wound healing accelerators an‎d antibacterial agents, modified with caffeic acid, L-arginine/acrylamide for the treatment of diabetic wounds.First, the gelatin polymer was modified with caffeic acid an‎d L-arginine, an‎d then hydrogels were synthesized an‎d eva‎luated using varying concentrations of acrylamide (6%, 12%, an‎d 24% w/w). Characterization techniques included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), an‎d nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Physical an‎d mechanical tests such as swelling capacity, degradation rate, compressive properties, rheology, adhesion to tissue an‎d glass, antioxidant activity, blood clotting time, an‎d antibacterial properties were also conducted. The release of L-arginine from the hydrogel matrix was assessed using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Finally, the biocompatibility of the hydrogels with fibroblast cells an‎d their efficacy in wound healing were eva‎luated in in vivo models.Results showed that increasing the acrylamide concentration from 6% to 24% w/w led to increased crosslinking density, decreased pore size (from 23± 2 µm to 8 ± 1 µm), increased swelling capacity (from 1223 ± 30% to 1300 ± 38%), an‎d decreased degradation rate over 14 days. Moreover, higher acrylamide percentages improved mechanical properties, including compressive strength (from 1.27 ± 0.3 MPa to 4.3 ± 0.09 MPa), compressive modulus, an‎d toughness. On the other han‎d, with increasing acrylamide content, the release rate of L-arginine decreased from 52.6 ± 3.4% to 28.3 ± 3.8%, which can contribute to controlled release, thus enhancing an‎d accelerating the wound healing process.The sample containing 12% w/w acrylamide was identified as the optimal formulation, featuring an average pore size of 74.46 ± 9.5 µm, antioxidant activity of 59.24 ± 3.9%, an‎d tissue adhesion strength of 430 ± 20 kPa. This hydrogel exhibited no cytotoxicity on fibroblast cells an‎d supported cell adhesion, proliferation, an‎d spreading on its surface. In vivo eva‎luations also demonstrated that the optimal sample significantly accelerated wound healing over 14 days compared to a commercial wound dressing.Based on the results, the gelatin-caffeic acid-L-arginine/acrylamide hydrogel containing 12% w/w acrylamide, possessing mechanical an‎d physical properties similar to skin tissue, high biocompatibility, blood clotting ability, antibacterial function, an‎d favorable adhesion, shows great potential for application in the treatment of diabetic wounds an‎d hemostasis.

مهشيد خرازيهاي اصفهاني , مهران نحوي

شيدا لباف , عليرضا علافچيان