Ficus carica Extract Loaded 3D-Printed Sodium Alginate/Guar Gum Scaffolds for Potential Wound Healing Applications: An In Vitro Study.

Skin burns are a major health concern that is caused by severe electric shocks, chemical and thermal exposure. The intense skin burns can cause the fibroblast cell death which can lead to the delayed wound healing. Direct ink write (DIW) printing is a promising three-dimensional (3D) printing technology that provides availability of different polymeric solutions and incorporation of bioactive agents within the polymeric blends with low material wastage. Herein, we fabricated a promising combination of ink consisting of sodium alginate (Na-ALG), guar gum (GG), and Ficus carica (FC) for DIW printing. The formulated scaffolds showed favorable rheological properties and layer fidelity. The scaffolds depicted appropriate intercrosslinked porous morphology that supported swelling ability. Na-ALG/GG/FC scaffolds were biodegradable, released gallic acid (GA) and demonstrated antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Scaffold exhibited biocompatibility of 109% on Day 7 with fibroblasts and released vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which indicated formation of new blood vessels. Hence, Na-ALG/GG/FC scaffolds are a potential candidate for treating chronic wounds.