In Vitro Biocompatibility of Hydrogel Polyvinyl Alcohol/Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract/Graphene Oxide for Wound Dressing

Hydrogel-based wound dressings are often chosen for healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in combination with herbal extracts. Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) extract is a potent herb containing antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory bioactive substances. In this work, wound dressings based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), MOL extract, and graphene oxide (GO) were developed for DFU wound dressing. The PVA/MOL/GO hydrogel was synthesized using four cycles of a freeze-thaw process with varying concentrations of MOL extract. All hydrogels showed a water content of 83-88% and an equilibrium swelling ratio between 155-171%. After degradation in phosphate-buffered saline, the hydrogels showed a more open porous structure. We observed a degradation rate of 26-28%. Although the increase in MOL extract reduced the tensile strength of the hydrogel, the addition of GO increased the tensile strength. The PVA/MOL/GO hydrogel showed the highest antibacterial activity, with a reduction of 94% Gram-positive S. aureus and 82% Gram-negative E. coli. Finally, all samples possessed appropriate cytocompatibility with cell viability reaching 83-135% in 3T3L1 mouse fibroblast cells. This result was verified by in vitro wound-healing analysis performed by scratch assay. This study presents the potency of combined PVA, MOL, and GO as a biocompatible DFU wound dressing.

Automated summary

Hydrogel-based wound dressings containing Moringa oleifera leaf extract and graphene oxide were developed for healing diabetic foot ulcers. The hydrogels showed high water content, swelling ratio, and antibacterial activity. They also exhibited appropriate cytocompatibility with fibroblast cells.