Tannic acid enhanced silk fibroin/hyaluronic acid hydrogel for In vitro hemostatic and antibacterial wound dressing

Natural polymeric hydrogels based on silk fibroin (SF) and hyaluronic acid (HA) offer promising biocompatible platforms for wound dressings, however, their clinical applications are limited by inadequate mechanical strength and a lack of multifunctionality. To overcome these limitations, we developed a dual-functionalized SF/HA hydrogel by incorporating quercetin (Q) as an antioxidant enhancer and tannic acid (TA) as a simultaneous mechanical reinforcement and antibacterial agent. The resulting SF/HA-QTA hydrogel exhibited exceptional multifunctionality in vitro, demonstrating potent free radical scavenging (>90%), exceptional bactericidal efficacy (>99% against E. coli and S. aureus), and rapid hemostatic performance (60% reduction in coagulation time; 22% blood clotting index within 5 min). Biocompatibility assessments confirmed high hemocompatibility (hemolysis rate 80%), emphasizing its in vitro safety profile. This innovative design integrates quercetin delivery with TA-mediated crosslinking, creating a multifunctional wound dressing platform that synergistically combines rapid hemostatic action, potent antimicrobial/antioxidant functions, and tissue-friendly characteristics, showing favorable potential for in vitro wound management.