Nano-Engineered Ag@MgO Embedded Chitosan Hydrogel Patch for Potent Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Infected Wound Healing

Abstract

Bacterial infection and biofilm formation are major barriers to effective wound healing, often leading to persistent inflammation, delayed tissue repair, and chronic wound conditions. To overcome these challenges, we developed a chitosanbased hydrogel embedded with silver-decorated magnesium oxide nanosheets (Cs-AMO) as a multifunctional wound dressing patch. The hydrogel exhibits a soft, porous, and biocompatible architecture that supports wound contact and maintains a moist healing environment. Uniform dispersion of Ag@MgO nanosheets within the chitosan matrix provides strong antibacterial performance through contact-mediated interactions and reactive oxygen species generation. The Cs-AMO hydrogel patch achieved complete inhibition (~100%) of both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, along with effective biofilm suppression of up to 83%, as confirmed by crystal violet staining and confocal microscopy. Cytocompatibility studies using HEK-293 cells showed high cell viability of approximately 85%, confirming the biocompatible nature of the hydrogel. Furthermore, in vivo studies using an infected rat wound model demonstrated significantly accelerated wound closure, reaching about 96% healing, accompanied by efficient bacterial clearance, reduced inflammation, and improved tissue regeneration compared to control groups. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the Cs-AMO hydrogel patch is a promising antibacterial and antibiofilm wound dressing for effective management of infected wounds..