Synergistic effect of ginger extract in crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol and agar-agar: fabrication and in vitro study of 3D-printed scaffolds

Abstract

Effective wound management requires advanced biomaterials capable of providing bioactive functions that accelerate tissue regeneration. For this purpose, three-dimensional printed scaffolds were fabricated using biocompatible materials via the direct ink writing technique. The ink contained polyvinyl alcohol, agar-agar, and an ethanolic ginger extract at different ratios for enhanced viscosity and printability. The ginger extract was incorporated as a natural therapeutic agent due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidative properties. The manufactured scaffolds were crosslinked and lyophilized, followed by in vitro evaluations to examine their potential for wound healing applications. Crosslinking using calcium chloride (confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) helped in providing the interconnected porous structure. The porous structure facilitated hydrophilicity (∼3600%), yielding human dermal fibroblast cell viability, which was later confirmed through the water-soluble tetrazolium salt 8 assay. The disintegration of the 3D matrix in phosphate-buffered saline exhibited a controlled degradation rate (∼75% in 14 days), providing the burst and sustained release of 6-gingerol (∼79% in 14 days). The controlled release of 6-gingerol provided bactericidal efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, as evidenced by turbidity tests. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the 3D-printed scaffold (PVA/AA/Ginger) offers a promising bioactive solution due to their hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and controlled drug release for soft-tissue engineering applications.