Dual-Crosslinked Sesbania Gum-Derived Antibacterial Hydrogel Enriched with Multiple Active Sites for Efficient Skin Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Sesbania gum (SG) represents a promising polysaccharide feedstock for hydrogels applied in skin tissue engineering, yet its practical utilization is limited by weak mechanical performance, severe molecular self-aggregation and insufficient chemical modifiability. Herein, a SG-derived antibacterial hydrogel (SGEC) with a well-defined three-dimensional porous network was fabricated via a dual-crosslinking route relying on epichlorohydrin covalent crosslinking and subsequent Cu2+ metal coordination. Benefiting from this dual-crosslinking design, SGEC possesses adjustable porous architectures and prominent broad-spectrum bactericidal capacity, capable of eradicating pathogenic bacteria at concentrations over 106 CFU/mL, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. In vivo infected wound assays further verified that SGEC efficiently suppresses wound bacterial colonization, speeds up tissue repair and facilitates complete epidermal regeneration. This work overcomes the inherent drawbacks of neat SG hydrogels and delivers a viable strategy for advancing polysaccharide hydrogels toward clinical biomedical wound treatment.