Multifunctional zinc and boron releasing sponges of chitosan/alginate: Promising organic–inorganic platforms for wound healing

This research aimed to develop a biocomposite containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGs) for skin wound healing. BGs, synthesized based on the SiO2-CaO-B2O3-ZnO system, had amorphous nature, spherical-shaped morphology and nano-sized particles. Composite sponges were fabricated by the freeze-drying and characterized. Among them, the sponge with 5 wt% of BGs (CA-G5) exhibited excellent water absorption ability, high porosity (88%) and interconnected pores with an average pore size of 130 µm suitable for migration and proliferation of fibroblasts. Moreover, CA-G5 showed improved tensile strength and elastic modulus in both dry and wet states and antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. Biological assays confirmed the positive role of BGs on human dermal fibroblast cell viability, proliferation and attachment. The in vitro biomineralization assay in simulated wound fluid showed apatite deposition after 7 days of immersion. This study suggests the developed biocomposite presents great potential for wound healing applications.