Emulsion Template Fabrication of Antibacterial Gelatin-Based Scaffolds with a Preferred Microstructure for Accelerated Wound Healing

Rapid wound healing and antimicrobial therapy have long been considered in wound repair. In this study, gelatin-based scaffolds with a preferred microstructure and antibacterial activity were fabricated by the emulsion template method. Gelatin microspheres of suitable size were prepared by emulsification and fixed with genipin. epsilon-Polylysine was introduced and adsorbed on the microspheres by electrostatic interactions. These microspheres were gathered and tightened by dialdehyde starch to prepare the gelatin-based scaffold. The prepared scaffolds possessed a porous and interconnected microstructure with the preferred pore sizes of similar to 65 mu m, which are conducive to skin regeneration. Moreover, the scaffolds showed good mechanical properties and swelling capacity, promising degradability, and good blood compatibility and cytocompatibility. The introduction of epsilon-polylysine endowed the scaffolds with good tissue adhesiveness and antibacterial activity. As expected, the prepared gelatin-based scaffolds with a preferred microstructure can facilitate the adhesion of more fibroblast cells. The gelatin-based scaffolds showed potential application as antibacterial wound dressings.