Bacteriophage-loaded polydextran aldehyde-hydrazide hydrogel reinforced by mogroside V for enhanced mechanical and antibacterial function.

Hydrogel-based delivery of bacteriophages offers a promising antibacterial strategy but is limited by formulation complexity and inconsistent efficacy, especially in co-treatment settings. This study presents a dual-functional hydrogel system integrating mogroside V (MG V), an amphiphilic saponin from Siraitia grosvenorii, into a polydextran aldehyde (PDA) and polydextran hydrazide (PDH) matrix to modulate phage delivery and antibacterial activity. The MG V-containing hydrogel (MP gel) exhibited a two-fold increase in compressive stress and a pore surface area expansion from 0.58 to 7.50 m2/g compared to the phage-only hydrogel (P gel). MG V showed a biphasic phage release profile with peaks at 6 and 60 min, but a lower cumulative release (38 % vs. 66 % in P gel). Functionally, MG V improved phage infectivity against Escherichia coli and induced longer cell morphology. The MP gel showed no cytotoxicity in mammalian cells, supporting its biomedical potential. This work introduces a novel, natural-compound-reinforced hydrogel that combines mechanical reinforcement and enhanced antibacterial performance, offering a scalable, antibiotic-free approach to managing bacterial infections and addressing antimicrobial resistance.