Evaluation of Moringa oleifera seed biopolymer-PVA composite hydrogel in wound healing dressing

Polysaccharide-based hydrogel scaffolds have emerged as promising candidates for skin regeneration. However, for restoring the integrity of the injured tissue, an appropriate balance of moisture and bioactivity needs to be maintained at the wound surface. Though several researchers have designed hydrogels from synthetic or natural resources, their applicability is restricted due to availability, cost and restricted properties suitable to specific wound types. In this study, a novel hydrogel composed of polysaccharide polymer from Moringa oleifera seeds and polyvinyl alcohol (MSP/PVA) was synthesized as a wound dressing material. The hydrogel was characterized using FTIR and XRD and evaluated for its fluid handling properties. It could absorb 5.7 g H2O g−1 dry weight with 20–30 % moisture being retained even after 24 h. Its good water absorption and donation ability make it appropriate for dry, necrotic and slightly exuding wounds. Its breathability and water vapor transmission rate extend it applicability to management of burns. The hydrogel exhibited hemocompatibility, antibacterial activity, bacterial impermeability, antioxidant activity and iron chelation that might help healing chronic wounds as well. It was biodegradable. In vivo wound healing showed that the rate of wound reduction and closure was accelerated with rapid re-epithelialization of partial thickness wounds in 6 days without scar formation. In vitro povidone–iodine loading and release studies showed that the iodine release followed Fickian diffusion process. The MSP/PVA hydrogel holds promise for management of dry, necrotic, slightly exuding, chronic wounds, burns and thus appears to be an economical alternative worth industrial exploitation.