An ovalbumin-based hydrogel loaded with dendrobium polysaccharide for promoting wound healing while reducing inflammations.

The challenges associated with wound healing are multifaceted, encompassing factors such as susceptibility to infection, inadequate blood supply to injured tissues, and the retention of foreign bodies. Development of a wound repair product that can effectively overcome the aforementioned issues at a relatively low cost would better meet the needs of patients. Consequently, this research aimed to develop a low-cost hydrogel with a simple preparation process to accelerate wound healing and reduce the risk of infection. Given their abundance and low cost, ovalbumin (OVA), dendrobium polysaccharide (DOPs), and erythromycin (EM) were selected as the primary components for constructing the composite hydrogel. In vitro experiments revealed that a solution containing 0.4 g/mL OVA, 50 mg/mL DOPs, and 100 µg/mL EM could effectively form a composite hydrogel when incubated in a warm bath at 53°C for 40 min. The resulting OVA/EM/DOPs hydrogel demonstrated exceptional properties, including strong adhesion, regenerative capacity, water retention, hydrophilicity, non-hemolytic behavior, and antimicrobial activity. Cellular assays further confirmed that the OVA/EM/DOPs hydrogel exhibited low cytotoxicity, excellent biocompatibility, and the ability to enhance scratch closure in L929 cells. In vivo wound healing experiments demonstrated that the composite hydrogel significantly accelerated wound repair by upregulating the expression of CD31 and VEGF while reducing levels of IL-10 and TNF-α. Both in vitro and in vivo findings consistently supported the hydrogel's efficacy in promoting wound healing and mitigating inflammation, highlighting its considerable potential for clinical wound management. The research not only offers a promising, low-cost option for wound repair but also broadens the potential applications of DOPs. Furthermore, the successful design of this composite hydrogel provides a novel framework for developing other simple and economical hydrogel-based materials, paving the way for innovative approaches in wound care and beyond.