Green Tech in Medicine: Scenedesmus obliquus-reinforced composite Hydrogels for Wound Therapy

Introduction: The creation of new sustainable methods that can maintain optimal oxygen levels in hydrogel scaffolds containing algal biomass is essential for regenerative medicine. Autotrophic tissue engineering utilises photosynthesis to harness the biological ability of algae to create oxygen in tissue constructs capable of self-sustenance, minimising reliance on external nutrient sources. We embedded polymeric hydrogels with algal biomass of Scenedesmus obliquus, which improved their wound healing ability in mouse models.

Method: Algal biomass (Scenedesmus obliquus) was added into the monomer mixture of acrylic acid(AA) and N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-methacrylamide (DMAPMA) along with ammonium persulphate (APS), and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl ethylenediamine (TEMED) for the synthesis of algal biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds through free radical aqueous copolymerisation. Further, this algal biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffold was tested for excisional cutaneous wound healing in BALB/c mice models for 14 days.

Result and Discussion: Algal hydrogel scaffolds with varying concentrations of Scenedesmus obliquus were applied for 14 days to excisional wounds in BALB/c mice. It was observed that algal hydrogel scaffolds promoted accelerated wound healing and had significant anti-inflammatory properties.

Conclusions: The results obtained suggest that infusing algal biomass into the polymer matrix improves wound healing ability and provides a pathway for the development of novel potential biomaterials for wound healing therapy.