Tunable co-concentration of Illicium verum and 3-(glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane in chitosan/dextrin hydrogels to induce vascular regeneration and enhanced wound healing across dual in vivo models
Jabeen S, Islam A, Ara C, Munawar M, Asghar SHA, Xu M, Khan RU (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Journal
Book Volume: 361
Article Number: 151939
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151939
Abstract
Restoring vascularization at the wound interface is a critical determinant of effective tissue regeneration. Here, we present a multifunctional chitosan–polyvinylpyrrolidone–dextrin (CPD) hydrogel platform, engineered by systematically tuning Illicium verum (star anise, SA) extract and the silane crosslinker 3-(glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (3G) to precisely modulate angiogenesis and wound repair. The hydrogels exhibited interconnected porous architectures that facilitate cellular infiltration and neovascular formation. Mechanistically, the synergistic integration of bioactive phytochemicals with silane-mediated network stabilization enhanced angiogenic branching while preserving structural integrity. Quantitative analysis revealed secondary and tertiary blood vessel densities of ∼4.3–10 and ∼22–40 vessels/mm2, respectively, with CPD-SA-3G formulations at asymmetric ratios (1/3 and 3/1) producing the most pronounced neovascularization. In vivo, these optimized hydrogels achieved near-complete murine wound closure by day 14 (99.98% for CPD-SA-3G 1/3 D versus 74% in untreated controls), accompanied by accelerated re-epithelialization and collagen deposition. This study establishes a mechanistically guided hydrogel design strategy that couples structural robustness with pro-angiogenic functionality, demonstrating tunable vascularization and accelerated tissue regeneration. The platform offers a versatile blueprint for advanced wound healing and regenerative biomaterials, integrating natural bioactives with controlled network chemistry.
Authors with CRIS profile
Sehrish Jabeen
Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery
Muhammad Munawar
Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Polymerwerkstoffe) (LSP)
Mengjiao Xu
Lehrstuhl für Werkstoffwissenschaften (Polymerwerkstoffe) (LSP)
Involved external institutions
Pakistan (PK)How to cite
APA:
Jabeen, S., Islam, A., Ara, C., Munawar, M., Asghar, S.H.A., Xu, M., & Khan, R.U. (2026). Tunable co-concentration of Illicium verum and 3-(glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane in chitosan/dextrin hydrogels to induce vascular regeneration and enhanced wound healing across dual in vivo models. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151939
MLA:
Jabeen, Sehrish, et al. "Tunable co-concentration of Illicium verum and 3-(glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane in chitosan/dextrin hydrogels to induce vascular regeneration and enhanced wound healing across dual in vivo models." International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 361 (2026).
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