Healing Effects of Synthetic Versus Commercial Alginate Hydrogel Dressings on Wounds

Background: Hydrogels based on natural ingredients, such as alginate, are considered promising wound dressings. Alginic acid, a polysaccharide polymer, is a structural component of the cell walls of brown algae. The important features of alginates used in biological dressings include non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and excellent swelling behavior. Objectives: In this study, the effects of alginate hydrogels and commercial alginate dressings were studied with regard to wound recovery in a rat model. Methods: Fifteen Wistar rats were divided into three groups of five. One wound measuring ۱ × ۱ cm square was made on each rat using a template. One rat in each group was euthanized on the ۴th, ۷th, ۱۴th, and ۲۱st days, and skin samples were taken for histopathological analysis. Results: The findings showed that the average total time of wound healing in the synthetic alginate dressing group was similar to that of the commercial dressing group. In this study, we found that synthetic alginate hydrogels were much more convenient for wound dressings and for the treatment of surface wounds. Conclusions: The treatment outcomes showed that our synthetic alginate hydrogel dressing was highly promising as an alternative wound-healing system, opening a new path toward future research and development.