Alginate-gelatin composite hydrogels loading zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles on gauze for burn wound healing: In vitro and in vivo studies.

This study addresses the limitations of traditional antibiotic treatments for burn wound dressings, which often lead to microbial resistance. It explores the development of innovative burn wound dressings by incorporating Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) into alginate-gelatin (Al-Gl) hydrogels on gauze. Al-Gl patches with 0 %, 1 %, and 4 % ZIF-8 were fabricated and characterized using XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and EDX. Swelling, degradation, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility were also evaluated, alongside in vivo wound healing using a Wistar rat model. FESEM confirmed ZIF-8 nanoparticles with hexagonal morphology (170-220 nm). The swelling ratio decreased from 600 % (Al-Gl 0 %) to 130 % (Al-Gl 4 %) over 10 h, and degradation rates increased from 50 % to over 70 %. Al-Gl 4 % patches demonstrated 99 % antibacterial efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus, compared to <5 % in Al-Gl 0 %. Biocompatibility was confirmed with over 90 % cell viability in MTT assays. In vivo studies showed Al-Gl 4 % achieved 89.40 % ± 3.21 % wound closure, significantly outperforming controls. Histological analyses confirmed enhanced tissue regeneration. These findings demonstrate that ZIF-8 significantly boosts antibacterial properties and wound healing, positioning ZIF-8 hydrogels as promising candidates for advanced burn wound care.