Antibacterial Aloe vera Based Biocompatible Hydrogel for Use in Dermatological Applications

Abstract

The present research aims to describe a new methodology to obtain biocompatible hydrogels based on <i>Aloe vera</i> used for wound healing applications. The properties of two hydrogels (differing in <i>Aloe vera</i> concentration, AV5 and AV10) prepared by an all-green synthesis method from raw, natural, renewable and bioavailable materials such as salicylic acid, allantoin and xanthan gum were investigated. The morphology of the <i>Aloe vera</i> based hydrogel biomaterials was studied by SEM analysis. The rheological properties of the hydrogels, as well as their cell viability, biocompatibility and cytotoxicity, were determined. The antibacterial activity of <i>Aloe vera</i> based hydrogels was evaluated both on Gram-positive, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and on Gram-negative, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> strains. The obtained novel green <i>Aloe vera</i> based hydrogels showed good antibacterial properties. In vitro scratch assay demonstrated the capacity of both AV5 and AV10 hydrogels to accelerate cell proliferation and migration and induce closure of a wounded area. A corroboration of all morphological, rheological, cytocompatibility and cell viability results indicates that this <i>Aloe vera</i> based hydrogel may be suitable for wound healing applications.