In-vitro and in-vivo wound healing studies of Ag@TiO₂NRs/GG hydrogel film for skin tissue regeneration

Abstract One million cases of skin wounds, either closed or open wounds, necessitate wound treatments to improve the quality of life. In this study, gellan gum biopolymer (Ag@TiO₂NRs/GG) hydrogel film with Ag loaded TiO₂ nanorods was fabricated for wound healing dressing. The wound healing performance of Ag@TiO₂WR/GG hydrogel was tested in vitro and in vivo to investigate its ability to regenerate skin tissue. FTIR, XRD, and SEM were used to examine the physical and chemical properties of prepared Ag@TiO₂NRs/GG hydrogel film, as well as pure Ag and Ag@TiO₂NRs. The FTIR spectra revealed the functional groups of Ag, TiO₂NRs, GG, and their interactions. The hydrogel film was in an amorphous form, according to XRD analysis, due to the helical structure of GG and the presence of Ag and TiO₂NRs in distinct phases. The SEM image shows agglomeration of Ag particles and elongated TiO₂ nanorods, indicating that Ag@TiO₂NRs were successfully incorporated onto GG hydrogel film. Human skin fibroblast cells (CRL2522) were used to study the in vitro wound healing of Ag@TiO₂NRs/GG hydrogel film for cell viability and proliferation. After 72 h, ∼98,022 cells well⁻¹ were counted, indicating that the Ag@TiO₂NRs/GG was biocompatible and non-toxic. In vivo wound healing on Sprague Dawley rats revealed 100% wound healing after 14 days of treatment with Ag@TiO₂NRs/GG hydrogel film. On a treated skin wound, ultrasound images revealed a thicker epidermis, clear dermis, and subcutis layer, indicating a positive correlation between wound healing and skin tissue regeneration.