Preparation， characterization and pharmacological activity analysis of baicalin antimicrobial hydrogel

In addressing the inadequate water solubility and bioavailability of baicalin， this study develops a drug carrier that exhibits both antimicrobial and self-healing hydrogel by integrating konjac glucomannan （KGM）-based hydrogel with cyclodextrin encapsulation technology. The successful preparation of baicalin/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes is achieved through the utilisation of a saturated solution stirring-freeze-drying method. Subsequent FTIR and XRD analysis demonstrates the effective inclusion of baicalin within the cyclodextrin cavity. The inclusion complexes are loaded into KGM/sodium tetraborate dynamically crosslinked hydrogels， and the resulting hydrogels exhibit excellent swelling properties with a swelling rate of 630.23%. Mechanical tests demonstrate that the hydrogel has significant self-healing capability， with a tensile strength retention rate of 97.80% after healing. In vitro release experiments demonstrate that the system conforms to First-order release model， the cumulative release rate of baicalin reaches 84.33% at 48 h. Antimicrobial experiments confirm that its inhibition rate against Staphylococcus aureus， Escherichia coli and Candida albicans reaches 99.12%， 98.07% and 98.82%， respectively， and the DPPH radical scavenging rate is as high as 93.54%. This study proposes a viable methodology for the development of innovative antimicrobial materials and drug carriers， addressing the challenges of low solubility and poor stability associated with baicalin.