Development of 3D-printed PCL scaffolds enriched with hyaluronic acid and gallic acid for wound dressing

Skin disorders are the fourth most common cause of chronic and non-fatal skin conditions, leading to a worldwide burden and having an impact on the global economy. Skin conditions significantly impact patients' overall well-being, encompassing their physical and psychological health. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the fabrication of mechanically stable and biocompatible polymeric scaffolds enriched with bioactive compounds utilizing 3D printing for wound dressings. To create novel drug-loaded 3D-printed scaffolds for advanced wound care and skin tissue engineering applications, polycaprolactone (PCL) was chosen as the matrix polymer due to its excellent mechanical properties. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and gallic acid (GA) were selected as bioactive compounds with biocompatibility enhancement and anti-inflammatory. The morphological, chemical composition and mechanical analyses were carried out using various concentrations of GA (0.1%, 0.15%) and HA (0.1%) in a 25% PCL solution. The SEM analysis showed that the pore sizes of the scaffolds were ranging from 148.29 +/- 11.67 mu m to 251.28 +/- 15.75 mu m. The thermal and chemical analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of HA and GA into 25% PCL scaffolds. The drug release studies indicated a controlled release profile. In vitro biocompatibility test using dermal fibroblasts demonstrated high cell viability and proliferation, with 25%PCL/0.1%HA/0.1%GA scaffolds exhibiting the most promising performance. The findings of this study proposed that PCL scaffold enriched with HA and GA produced by the 3D printing method can show great potential for use as wound dressing in skin tissue engineering.