Silk fibroin (SF) with the anti-bacterial property can be used in many fields including medical applications. However, the preparation of SF into a desired form is difficult due to its brittleness and compatibility. The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize hydrogel containing SF and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) crosslinked with dialdehyde starch (DAS) without the need for a conventional chemical crosslinker. The compatibility of SF and PVA, the gel fraction, and the swelling ratio of the SF:PVA hydrogel were improved when crosslinked with DAS. Moreover, the addition of DAS affected the porosity and the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of the hydrogel. The optimal ratio for preparation of the hydrogel was 50:50 SF:PVA with 5 wt% DAS, which exhibited a high gel fraction of 98 % and a 245-fold gel swelling compared with that of the dried hydrogel. The consequent loss of weight suggested the stability of hydrogel in water. The WVTR of the hydrogel was 2280±114 g·m⁻²·day⁻¹ close to the range suitable for maintaining the appropriate fluid balance in the wound bed for wound healing without risking wound dehydration. The hydrogel improvement properties propose the potential to expanding the applications of SF:PVA hydrogels as wound dressing materials.

中文翻译：

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丝素蛋白/聚乙烯醇水凝胶与二醛淀粉交联的伤口敷料应用

具有抗菌特性的丝素蛋白（SF）可以用于许多领域，包括医疗应用。然而，由于其脆性和相容性，将SF制备成期望的形式是困难的。这项研究的目的是在不需要常规化学交联剂的情况下，制备和表征含有与二醛淀粉（DAS）交联的SF和聚乙烯醇（PVA）的水凝胶。与DAS交联时，SF和PVA的相容性，凝胶分数和SF：PVA水凝胶的溶胀率得到改善。而且，添加DAS影响了水凝胶的孔隙率和水蒸气透过率（WVTR）。制备水凝胶的最佳比例为50:50 SF：PVA和5 wt％DAS，与干燥的水凝胶相比，其表现出98％的高凝胶分数和245倍的凝胶溶胀。随之而来的体重减轻表明水凝胶在水中的稳定性。水凝胶的WVTR为2280±114 g·m^-2 ·天^-1接近适于在伤口床中保持适当的液体平衡以进行伤口愈合而又不存在伤口脱水风险的范围。水凝胶的改善性能表明有可能扩大SF：PVA水凝胶作为伤口敷料的应用范围。