Potential and Characteristic Combinations of Collagen with Natural Polymer-Based Hydrogel for Burn Wound Dressing Applications

Burn injuries are a common type of open wound, often caused by exposure to heat sources such as fire, hot liquids, or heated surfaces. Without proper treatment, these injuries can lead to complications like tissue necrosis and eschar formation, which impair healing and increase infection risk. Effective wound management is essential to accelerate recovery and minimize damage. Hydrogel dressings made from hydrophilic polymers have emerged as promising materials due to their ability to maintain moisture, absorb exudate, and provide a cooling effect. Natural polymers such as collagen, κ-carrageenan, chitosan, and alginate are particularly attractive for biomedical applications owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and non-toxicity. In this study, hydrogel film formulations combining natural polymers were developed and optimized using the Simplex Lattice Design (SLD) method to determine the optimal polymer composition. Films were evaluated for swelling ratio, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), degradation rate, and tensile strength. Among the tested combinations, the collagen–alginate hydrogel film showed the most desirable characteristics, including a swelling ratio of 100.75 ± 6.70%, WVTR of 1070.36 ± 221.43 g/m²·day, 33.44 ± 5.09% degradation over 8 days, and tensile strength of 0.061 ± 0.004 MPa. These values indicate good performance in moisture management, durability, and controlled degradation. Overall, the results demonstrate that collagen–alginate hydrogel films are promising candidates for burn wound management. Future work will focus on incorporating bioactive agents and conducting in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate safety, efficacy, and wound healing performance.