Green Synthesized ZnO Incorporated Sida cordifolia /Alginate Hydrogel Scaffolds for Antibacterial Wound Healing Applications
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 15, No 2 (June 2026) pp. 656-667
Abstract
Natural fiber-based hydrogel scaffolds have emerged as promising biomaterials for antimicrobial dressing applications owing to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and environmental sustainability. In this study, a novel multifunctional hydrogel scaffold was developed by integrating alkali-treated Sida cordifolia (SC) microfibers with calcium-crosslinked sodium alginate and green-synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles derived using Azadirachta indica leaf extract. The novelty of this work lies in the synergistic combination of natural microfibers, alginate hydrogel networks, and in situ synthesized ZnO nanoparticles to achieve enhanced swelling, controlled biodegradation, and antibacterial performance within a single scaffold system. Structural and chemical analyses confirmed successful scaffold formation and ZnO nanoparticle incorporation. Swelling studies revealed that the optimized SCA-3/ZnO scaffold exhibited a maximum swelling capacity of approximately 5.8 g/g, indicating excellent water uptake behavior suitable for moist wound environments. In vitro biodegradation studies demonstrated controlled degradation, with a maximum weight loss of 48.7% after 385 h in phosphate-buffered saline. Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed nanoscale ZnO particles with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 6.26 nm, while zeta potential measurements showed a surface charge of −39.89 mV, indicating good colloidal stability. UV–Visible spectroscopy exhibited broad absorption features in the 430–460 nm region, attributed to phytochemical-mediated surface modification and interactions between ZnO nanoparticles and the hydrogel matrix. Antibacterial evaluation demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with inhibition zones of 16 mm and 14 mm, respectively, for the optimized scaffold. These findings suggest that the developed SCA/ZnO hydrogel scaffold is a promising candidate for antimicrobial biomedical dressing applications and warrants further cytocompatibility and in vivo investigations.
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