3D printed sodium Alginate-Gelatin hydrogel loaded with Santalum album oil as an antibacterial Full-Thickness wound healing and scar reduction Scaffold: In vitro and in vivo study

Managing wounds and accompanying consequences like exudation and microbiological infections is challenging in clinical practice. Bioactive compounds from traditional medicinal plants help heal wounds, although their bioavailability is low. This study uses sodium alginate (SA), gelatin (G), and Santalum album oil (SAL) to 3D print a polymeric hydrogel scaffold to circumvent these difficulties. The 3D printed scaffolds showed hydrophilicity, an average pore size of 221.30 ± 19.83 µm, adequate swelling, higher mechanical strength with tensile strength (σ) of 13.5 ± 1.08 MPa, a Young's modulus of 17.53 ± 1.61 MPa, andpotential antibacterial activity against skin infection causing bacteria viz. Staphylococcus aureus (87.7 ± 4 % growth inhibition) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (i.e. 81.96 ± 3.94 % growth inhibition). The scaffolds showed hemocompatibility, biocompatibility, and moderate biodegradability. Cytotoxicity and scratch assay showed significantly improved fibroblast viability, proliferation, and migration. In the in vivo study, the scaffolds were applied to full-thickness wounds in rat models. After 7 and 14 days of treatment, the wounds treated with the 3D-printed SA-G-SAL scaffold showed higher closure rates, lower contraction, higher-regenerated epithelium with minimal inflammation, and less scar formation compared to control groups. Thus, the 3D-printed SA-G-SAL scaffold is a promising biomaterial for wound healing with reduced scar formation.