Bifunctional Composite Biomaterials Integrating Bacteriophages and Phytoextracts for Chronic Wound Healing

were observed in phage-containing cryogels through an agar diffusion assay, colony forming unit assay, and phage release was also determined over a 24-hour period. Further, biological studies showed negligible cytotoxicity, as confirmed by a direct contact test with L929 fibroblast cells. The MTT assay and live-dead staining on days 1, 3, and 7 showed significantly enhanced cell proliferation in the HC-O and HC-PO groups in comparison to the HC and HC-P groups. The wound-healing potential of the composite cryogels, assessed using a scratch assay, further demonstrated the highest healing in the HC-PO group. Therefore, this study provides evidence for the wound-healing potential of the as-developed composite cryogels due to their bifunctional role in phage-mediated antimicrobial properties and enhanced fibroblast migration as well as proliferation under the influence of phytoextracts.