Preparation of hydrogel dressing containing chitosan oligosaccharide and egg white nanoparticles for enhanced wound healing application

Chronic wounds, characterised by severe inflammation, excessive oxidation, and bacterial infection, remain a challenge in tissue healing treatment. Biopolymer-based hydrogels offer a promising alternative, promoting dermal and epidermal regeneration while protecting against microbial infections. Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), a natural biopolymer with wound-healing potential, and chicken egg white–derived ovalbumin, known for enhancing cell growth, were combined to develop a novel hydrogel system. In this study, a hydrogel was formulated from sodium alginate (SA) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), incorporating COS and egg protein nanoparticles (EPN) prepared via cold gelation, with CaCl₂ serving as the crosslinker. COS was obtained by degrading chitosan in diluted lactic acid with hydrogen peroxide. EPN size and mechanical strength of fabricated hydrogels were evaluated using dynamic light scattering and tensile testing, respectively. The cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity were assessed in vitro . The resulting hydrogel was designed to exhibit favourable tensile strength, swelling behavior, low cytotoxicity, and high antioxidant activity, as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Using the excisional wound-healing model in mice, treatment of the hydrogel with EPN and COS exhibited significantly higher therapeutic efficacy in promoting tissue regeneration and the healing process. • SA/HPMC/COS/EPN hydrogel was prepared and characterised for its mechanical properties. • SA/HPMC/COS/EPN hydrogel exhibited low cytotoxicity, high antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro . • SA/HPMC/COS/EPN treatment showed a highly therapeutic effect on the wound healing model mice by enhancing tissue regeneration.