GelMA/OKGM/tannic acid hydrogel with antioxidant and antibacterial properties for full-thickness wound healing

Cutaneous wound healing is often impaired by prolonged oxidative stress and bacterial infection. However, conventional wound dressings are generally unable to adequately address these challenges owing to their limited biological functionality. Although hydrogel-based systems offer promising approaches to wound management, combining appropriate physicochemical properties with multiple biological functions remains challenging. In this study, a multifunctional photocrosslinked hydrogel consisting of gelatin methacrylate (GelMA), oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM), and tannic acid (TA) was developed. The GelMA/OKGM/TA hydrogel underwent rapid photocrosslinking and showed antioxidant and in vitro antibacterial activities. In a sterile full-thickness excisional wound model in rats, the GelMA/OKGM/TA hydrogel accelerated wound closure and improved histological features of tissue repair compared with the untreated control and GelMA-treated groups. Together, these results indicate that incorporating TA into a photocrosslinkable GelMA/OKGM hydrogel confers antioxidant and in vitro antibacterial properties and supports wound repair in a preclinical model. Nevertheless, further investigation in infected-wound models, together with comprehensive in vivo safety assessments, is needed to evaluate the hydrogel’s therapeutic potential.