Hydroalcoholic gel of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides: Antioxidant activity and promotion of wound healing.

While polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis (ASP) exhibit promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for wound healing, their efficacy in aqueous solution is transient. In this study, we extracted ASP and fractionated it via stepwise alcohol precipitation (ASP-30, ASP-50, ASP-70, ASP-80). The molecular weight, monosaccharide composition and antioxidant capacity of ASP in different graded ASP fractions were evaluated. The gelation behaviors of the graded ASP fractions in a water-ethanol solvent system were evaluated, and the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the ASP-based gel (ASPG) were characterized. The results indicated that ASP-50 (72.91 kDa, 69.24 % galacturonic acid) based ASPG demonstrated favorable mechanical strength, shear-thinning, rapid self-recovery, and preserved structural characteristics of ASP. In vitro, ASPG was non-toxic, significantly mitigated H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in L929 cells, upregulated SOD activity, reduced ROS and MDA levels, enhanced viability, and decreased apoptosis. In a mouse pressure injury (PI) model, ASPG accelerated the wound healing (P < 0.05), and had the ability to reduced oxidative stress, decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhanced cell migration and collagen deposition. This work establishes a foundation for polysaccharide-based wound dressings derived from traditional Chinese medicine.