Development, characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of barbaloin-loaded cassia tora gum (galactomannan polysaccharide) hydrogel scaffold for wound healing.

This study explored the development and characterization of barbaloin (BAR) loaded cassia tora gum-polyvinyl alcohol (CTG-PVA) hydrogel scaffolds crosslinked with citric acid (CA) for potential wound care applications. The scaffolds were synthesized by solvent casting, with CA serving as a low-cost, non-toxic crosslinking agent. Several characterization techniques, including FTIR, DSC, XRD, and morphological analysis, were employed to evaluate the folding ability, thickness, moisture content, porosity, water retention, water vapor transmission rate, mechanical properties, degree of swelling, moisture uptake, and degradation. In vitro drug release studies revealed sustained BAR release over 48 h, following a non-fickian diffusion model. Additionally, the hemolysis assays demonstrated that the hydrogel scaffolds exhibited excellent blood compatibility. The antibacterial study of the hydrogel scaffold demonstrated effective microbial inhibition against S. aureus and E. coli strains. Moreover, the biocompatibility study was performed using human dermal fibroblast cells PCS-201-021 (HDFs) and demonstrated that the hydrogel scaffolds are non-toxic. In vivo experiments, including histopathological analysis and wound healing assessments, revealed a significantly faster rate of wound recovery within 14 days of treatment. These findings indicate that BAR-loaded CTG-PVA hydrogel scaffolds cross-linked with CA have strong potential as wound dressings, providing a promising platform for tissue repair and drug delivery applications.