Alexia-Maria PETRESCU, Gabriel DĂSCĂLESCU
ABSTRACT :
Severe skin lesions represent a significant medical challenge, being associated with the risk of chronic infections and loss of tissue functionality. While local treatments are essential in wound management, conventional dressings present several limitations, such as an increased risk of infection, delayed healing, and poor patient compliance. In this context, the present study aims to develop a new generation of dressings capable of overcoming these limitations by utilizing two biopolymers, sodium alginate and gelatin, incorporated with silver nanoparticles in order to provide a pronounced antimicrobial effect. These hydrogels were characterized in terms of morphology, interaction with simulated biological fluids, biodegradability, and in vitro cytocompatibility. The synthesized silver nanoparticles demonstrated an optimal average size of 242.2 nm. Furthermore, the cell viability tests indicated excellent biocompatibility, with values remaining 94% across all tested hydrogel formulations. The results obtained demonstrated the potential applicability of these hydrogels as alternatives for wound treatment. Keywords: silver nanoparticles, biomedical applications, wound dressing, skin tissue regeneration.