Biofunctional alginate hydrogel enabling Fe³⁺ detection and therapeutic modulation of hepatic fibrosis.

Hepatic fibrosis, driven by hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, is closely associated with iron overload. To enable simultaneous diagnosis and treatment, a multifunctional hydrogel nanocomposite (SA-1@MG) was developed by modifying sodium alginate with a compound 1-based Fe³⁺-responsive fluorophore and loading mangiferin (MG). SA-1@MG exhibited strong, selective fluorescence quenching toward Fe³⁺ (R² = 0.9992) and high stability under physiological conditions. In vitro studies using TGF-β1-induced LX-2 cells confirmed that SA-1@MG effectively suppressed fibrotic markers (ACTA2, COL1A1, TIMP1, TGFB1), demonstrating enhanced antifibrotic activity compared to free MG. These results highlight SA-1@MG as a dual-functional platform for Fe³⁺ fluorescence detection and hepatic fibrosis therapy, providing a promising strategy for early diagnosis and treatment of liver fibrosis.