Adhesive, sustained-release, antibacterial, cytocompatible hydrogel-based nanofiber membrane assembled from polysaccharide hydrogels and functionalized nanofibers

Hydrogels, three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer cross-linked networks, have attracted much attention in the fields of biomedicine, health care, etc., due to their unique water retention, and structural similarity to extracellular matrix. However, the conventional synthetic polymer hydrogels have poor biocompatibility, adhesion, and biodegradability. Polysaccharides as a major constituent of native extracellular matrix are biocompatible and degradable, so the polysaccharides hydrogels are outstanding candidates for biomedicine and health care applications. Herein, novel hydrogel-based nanofiber membranes with adhesive, sustained-release, antibacterial and biocompatible performance were developed by complexing functionalized nanofibers membranes and polysaccharide hydrogels. The functionalized nanofiber membranes loaded with poly-lysine and allantoin were obtained by green solvent electrospinning technology using non-toxic and biological polycaprolactone as the base material. Biocompatible polysaccharide hydrogels were prepared by dynamic Schiff base crosslinking of chitosan oligosaccharide and oxidized konjac glucomannan. The dynamic Schiff base bonds endow hydrogels with outstanding self-healing properties. Consequently, with the integrated features of fibrous membranes and hydrogels, hydrogel-based nanofiber membranes have outstanding antibacterial capability against both Escherichia coli (99.99%) and Staphylococcus aureus (99.99%), sustained-release characteristic with 65.7% cumulative allantoin release during 10 h, and biocompatibility with at least 450% cell viability within 5 days. This unique composite structure exhibits positive potential in the application of skincare, including facial masks, medical dressings and other products.