3D printed Aloe barbadensis loaded alginate-gelatin hydrogel for wound healing and scar reduction: In vitro and in vivo study

Shahabaj S Mujawar; Gajanan K Arbade; Neema Bisht; Mahadeo Mane; Vidisha Tripathi; Rakesh Kumar Sharma; Shivaji B Kashte

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139745

3D printed Aloe barbadensis loaded alginate-gelatin hydrogel for wound healing and scar reduction: In vitro and in vivo study

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 10:139745. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139745. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shahabaj S Mujawar¹, Gajanan K Arbade², Neema Bisht³, Mahadeo Mane⁴, Vidisha Tripathi³, Rakesh Kumar Sharma⁵, Shivaji B Kashte⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, D. Y. Patil Education Society (Deemed to be University), Kolhapur 416006, MS, India.
² National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, India; Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India.
³ National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, India.
⁴ Department of Pathology, D.Y Patil Medical College, Kolhapur, India.
⁵ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, D.Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
⁶ Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, D. Y. Patil Education Society (Deemed to be University), Kolhapur 416006, MS, India. Electronic address: ShivajiKashte.cir@dypgroup.edu.in.

PMID: 39800028
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139745

Abstract

Wounds are one of the most critical clinical issues in plastic surgery repair and restoration. Conventional wound dressing materials cannot absorb enough wound exudates and shield the site from microbial infection. Also, despite their healing prowess, bioactive molecules from medicinal plants are less bioavailable at the wound sites. This study developed a 3D-printed hydrogel of sodium alginate and gelatin loaded with freeze-dried Aloe barbadensis extract for enhanced wound healing. The hydrogel was hydrophilic and showed an average pore size of 163.66 ± 14.45 μm, moderate swellability, and ideal mechanical properties with tensile strength(σ) of 16.39 ± 0.98 MPa, and Young's modulus of 17.43 ± 1.41 MPa. They showed potential antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (87.7 ± 4 % inhibition) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (84.4 ± 6 % inhibition). These hydrogels were hemocompatible, biocompatible, and biodegradable. Cell cytotoxicity assay and scratch assay showed effective Normal Human Dermal Fibroblast cells (NHDF) viability, proliferation, and migration on the hydrogel. In vivo studies of the 3D-printed hydrogel demonstrated significantly improved wound closure, reduced wound contraction, enhanced epithelial regeneration with minimal inflammation, and decreased scar formation after 14 days of treatment. Therefore, this 3D-printed hydrogel can be promising for wound healing with scar reduction.

Keywords: 3D printing; Antibacterial hydrogel; Biocompatibility; Biodegradability; Full-thickness wounds.