Diversified antibacterial modification and latest applications of polysaccharide-based hydrogels for wound healthcare

Wound infection causes certain physical harm to patients, even life-threatening, and brings a huge economic burden to society, which is one of the urgent problems to be solved in today's world. At present, there are still some problems in application, although many dressings for wound infection. Hydrogels are recognized as viable wound dressings due to their unique antibacterial properties and biocompatibility. Natural polysaccharides are ideal candidates for preparing antibacterial hydrogels on account of their unique biological properties, degradable, nontoxic. Polysaccharide-based antibacterial hydrogels, as a protective shield can form sterilized micro-spaces in wounds, moisten them to speed up the healing rate, against bacterial accumulation and invasion. In this paper, the current antibacterial modes and mechanisms, as well as the antibacterial modification methods of natural polysaccharides hydrogels were reviewed, and the latest advances of antibacterial hydrogels of polysaccharides (chitosan, alginate, cellulose, starch, and hyaluronic acid) as protective shields was discussed. Finally, the application problems and prospects of antibacterial hydrogels of natural polysaccharides were imagined. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.