Abstract:
Uncontrolled bleeding remains a critical challenge in wound management, requiring the
development of advanced biomaterials with rapid hemostatic and healing capabilities. This study
focuses on the fabrication and characterization of novel NSC/OSA-K based composite hydrogels
for wound healing applications. The hydrogels were synthesized by incorporating kaolin (K) in an
optimized concentration of 25% of polymer weight into a matrix of N-succinyl chitosan (NSC)
and oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) using Schiff base reaction. The incorporation of kaolin
significantly enhanced the hydrogel’s hemostatic efficacy as demonstrated by blood clotting index
(25 %). The NSC/OSA-K composite hydrogels demonstrated a highly porous structure, excellent
swelling capacity (4445 %), improved compressive strength (2.28 MPa), and desirable
biodegradability (37 % in PBS and 74 % in PBS+Lysozyme). Antibacterial study of ofloxacin
(OFX) loaded NSC/OSA-K25 hydrogels showed good results against Staphylococcus aureus (27
mm) and Escherichia coli (29.3 mm). These results proved that NSC/OSA-K25 hydrogel loaded
with OFX in an optimized concentration of 3% of polymer and kaolin weight is a promising
candidate for wound dressing application.
