Shutong Yang

Abstract The prognosis for traumatic brain injury (TBI) depends largely on prompt hemostasis and effective pharmacologic interventions. Natural all‐small‐molecule self‐gelling powder, integrating the advantages of self‐assembled small‐molecule hydrogels and powders, is expected to provide timely and effective prehospital management of TBI. However, the synthesis and application of natural all‐small‐molecule self‐gelling powder is still uncharted territory. In this study, an all‐small‐molecule co‐assembled MGF‐H 3 BO 3 ‐RUT (MBR) self‐gelling powder is fabricated through the co‐assembly of mangiferin (MGF) and rutin (RUT) in H 3 BO 3 /NaOH aqueous solution. Both compounds can bind with boric acid, leading to co‐assembling into hydrogels through hydrogen‐bonding interactions and π – π stacking. MBR self‐gelling powder is then obtained by drying the as‐prepared hydrogels, thus integrating hemostasis and pharmacodynamics into one. Remarkably, it displays robust regeneration capabilities, while retaining excellent self‐healing properties and injectability after drying‐hydration cycles. Moreover, MBR self‐gelling powder not only achieves rapid effective hemostasis but also attenuates conspicuously cerebral edema and inflammatory response after TBI by in situ spraying, exhibiting notable neuroprotective effects without discernible toxic side effects. This study provides a novel assembly strategy and application form for self‐assembled gel materials originating from natural small molecules, offering promising avenues for the treatment of TBI in the acute phase.

Patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) undergoing surgery are at high risk of developing peritoneal adhesions and other severe postoperative complications. However, the single shielding function and absence of physiological activity render conventional methods less useful in preventing adhesions in patients with MetS. To address this challenge, a convenient method is introduced for developing a novel tissue-adhesive hydrogel called oxidized dextran-metformin (ODE-ME) via Schiff base linkages. This injectable ODE-ME hydrogel exhibits excellent tissue-adhesive properties and various physiological functions, particularly enhanced antibacterial effects. Furthermore, in vivo experiments demonstrate that the hydrogel can effectively alleviate hyperglycemia, reduce excessive inflammation, and improve fibrinolytic activity in MetS mice, thereby preventing adhesions and promoting incisional healing. The hydrogel concurrently isolates injured tissues and lowers the blood glucose levels immediately after surgery in mice. Therefore, the ODE-ME hydrogel functions as a multifunctional barrier material and has potential for preventing postoperative peritoneal adhesions in patients with MetS in clinical settings.

Amino acid-based hydrogels have received widespread attention because of their wide range of sources, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Despite considerable progress, the development of such hydrogels has been limited by critical problems such as bacterial infection and complex preparation. Herein, by using the non-toxic gluconolactone (GDL) to adjust the pH of the solution to induce the rapid self-assembly of N-[(benzyloxy)carbonyl]-L-tryptophan (ZW) to form a three-dimensional (3D) gel network, we developed a stable and effective self-assembled small-molecule hydrogel. Characterization assays and molecular dynamics studies indicate that π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding are the main drivers of self-assembly between ZW molecules. In vitro experiments further confirmed this material’s sustained release properties, low cytotoxicity, and excellent antibacterial activity, particularly against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. This study provides a different and innovative perspective for the further development of antibacterial materials based on amino acid derivatives.