A green fabrication approach of gelatin/CM-chitosan hybrid hydrogel for wound healing

A series of hydrogels were fabricated from an aqueous solution of gelatin and carboxymethyl chitosan (CM-chitosan) by radiation-induced-crosslinking at ambient temperature. Several physicochemical and biological properties of the hydrogels were investigated to evaluate their potential as wound healing materials. By increasing the CM-chitosan content in the hybrid hydrogels, their swelling ability increased significantly, while the compressive modulus decreased. The miscibility between gelatin and CM-chitosan molecules led to a semi-interpenetrate network after crosslinking. Observed by SEM, scaffolds with a homogeneous interconnected pore structure were obtained after lyophilizing the hydrogels. The enzyme degradation rate of the hydrogels was controlled by adjusting the procedure, which could be matched to the healing rate of the wound. Furthermore, the gelatin/CM-chitosan hydrogels promoted cell attachment and rapid growth of fibroblasts on the material. Due to the high water absorption capacity, a similar compressive modulus with soft tissue, controllable biodegradation, and excellent biocompatibility, the gelatin/CM-chitosan hybrid hydrogels have potential as skin scaffolds and wound healing materials.