• A pH-sensitive hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel containing crocus sativus with wound healing properties
  • Arefe Khavari,1 Alireza Shariati,2 Faezeh Takhsha,3 Zahra Parandeh,4 Sana Razzazi,5 Fatemeh Sadat Shariati,6,*
    1. Department of Biology Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
    2. Department of Materials Engineering ,Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
    3. Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
    4. Department of Biotechnology , school of Advanced Technologist in Medicine , Shahid Beheshti university of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
    5. Department of Biology , Faculty of Basic Siences , Shahed University , Tehran , Iran
    6. Infulenza Research Lab , Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran


  • Introduction: In the wound healing process, controlling parameters that accelerate treatment and inhibit deleterious factors is very complicated and needs new treatment strategies. In the current study, we synthesized a pH-sensitive hydrogel based on hyaluronic acid, and crocus sativus extract which changes its color in the face of bacterial infection.
  • Methods: Field-emission scanning electron microscope demonstrated a highly porous composite with a 3D-mesh structure. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of functional groups at each synthesis stage.
  • Results: Colorimetric pH measurements depicted that, after bacterial inoculation, the composite`s color changed to yellow, while it remained colorless in fresh medium, and pink at acidic pH similar to healthy skin. The hydrogel prevented the formation of bacterial biofilm. The hemolytic assay demonstrated that 98% of red blood cells survived. The ferric-reducing antioxidant assay showed an antioxidant activity of about 75% for the hydrogel. The cell viability of L929 cells was 96.5.0% after 24h of incubation, whereas it was 99.5% for the control group. Statistical analysis indicated no significant difference between the cell viability of the control and treated groups.
  • Conclusion: The fabricated hydrogel can be tested in future studies on different wound dressing applications.
  • Keywords: Keywords: Crocus sativus, hyaluronic acid, smart hydrogel, silk fibroin, biofilm, antioxidant