Fabrication of Antibacterial and Flexible Hydrogels Based on Citric Acid Containing Tannic Acid for Wound Dressing

This research article details the synthesis of a flexible hydrogel wound dressing using a biomonomer composed of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, citric acid, and polyethylene glycol (HEMA-CA-PEG). The hydrogel's mechanical properties were confirmed through various tests, and tannic acid (TA) was added to enhance its antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities. The study demonstrated that the TA-containing hydrogel achieved over 99.9% bacterial inhibition and was effective in treating burns on rats, with wound closure observed after 17 days and hair growth by the 21st day. The hydrogel showed promising results in wound healing, promoting granulation tissue formation, re-epithelialization, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition, without any conflicts of interest reported by the authors.