Green synthesis of bioactive phloroglucinol derivatives and polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel modified with albumin- diacylphloroglucinol for potential wound healing

The derivatization of phloroglucinol (PG) with ninhydrin was conducted to enhance its bioactivity, particularly its antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The two PG-ninhydrin derivatives were synthesized via a single-step reaction of PG or diacetyl phloroglucinol (DAPG) with ninhydrin in glacial acetic acid. DAPG-ninhydrin exhibited greater antibacterial efficacy than its predecessors, PG and PG-ninhydrin, particularly in targeting resistant bacterial strains. Both the synthesized PG-ninhydrin derivatives exhibited strong antioxidant activity, suggesting that the incorporation of ninhydrin enhanced their effectiveness as free radical scavengers. Moreover, to investigate the efficacy of PG derivatives in expediting wound recovery, a PVA/NaCMC hydrogel modified with albumin and DAPG was synthesized. The synthesized hydrogels exhibited strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and very strong activity against S. aureus and accelerated wound healing with complete closure by day 9. Green metrics evaluation of the hydrogel synthesis process was carried out using DOZN 3.0, and an aggregate value of 1 was obtained, indicating that the synthesis process was environmentally friendly. Overall, the hydrogel leverages the synergistic effects of albumin's anti-inflammatory and tissue repair mechanisms with DAPG antimicrobial and antioxidant attributes, as an effective alternative solution against postoperative wound healing and drug resistance.