This study developed hydrogels containing different ratios of TA using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) polymers crosslinked with tannic acid (TA) for the treatment of burn wounds. Various tests, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), swelling, moisture retention, contact angle, tensile strength, the scratch test, antibacterial activity and the in vitro drug-release test, were applied to characterize the developed hydrogels. Additionally, the hydrogels were examined for cytotoxic properties and cell viability with the WST-1 test. TA improved both the self-healing properties of the hydrogels and showed antibacterial activity, while the added gentamicin (GEN) further increased the antibacterial activities of the hydrogels. The hydrogels exhibited good hydrophilic properties and high swelling capacity, moisture retention, and excellent antibacterial activity, especially to S. aureus. In addition, the swelling and drug-release kinetics of hydrogels were investigated, and while swelling of hydrogels obeyed the pseudo-second-order modeling, the drug release occurred in a diffusion-controlled manner according to the Higuchi and Korsmeyer–Peppas models. These results show that PVA/PEI-based hydrogels have promising potential for wound dressings with increased mechanical strength, swelling, moisture retention, self-healing, and antibacterial properties.

In the present study, a hip joint cup/liner material has been developed using ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) matrix material which is reinforced by hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles with the 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 wt.% using mechanical activation followed by hot pressing. The main goal of the present study is to increase the life cycle of UHMWPE joint material, increasing wear resistance with HAp. The homogeneous distribution of HAp particles was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the presence of characteristic peaks of UHMWPE and HAp was detected by x‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It was concluded that the hardness value of the UHMWPE‐4 wt.% HAp composite increased by 118%, the wear rate decreased by 81%, and the coefficient of friction decreased by 65% compared to pure UHMWPE. The presence of an apatite structure was detected in the in vitro experiments performed after the UHMWPE‐4 wt.% composite was kept in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution at 37°C for 8 days. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed an increase of 7.91% in the melting temperature and 159% in the crystallinity value of pure UHMWPE with HAp reinforcement. All results revealed that UHMWPE‐HAp composites demonstrate suitability for application as cup and/or liner components in hip joint prosthetic systems.

Smart hydrogels, which combine hydrogel properties such as biocompatibility, high drug loading capacity, and injectability while being responsive to external stimuli, are a subclass of smart materials. Smart hydrogels respond to effects that are not harmful to the human body, such as temperature, pH, light, and biomolecules. Furthermore, some smart hydrogels possess dual-responsive properties or can be multifunctional, exhibiting both adhesive and responsive behavior to external stimuli. Smart hydrogels have made groundbreaking advances in the field of biomedical. They have been improved through structural modifications and by gaining the ability to be multi-responsive. Controlling drug release and biofilm disruption by using these smart hydrogels is one of the efficient strategies to reduce antimicrobial resistance and the number of deaths caused by microbial diseases. In this review, the preparation of smart hydrogels, their various types and applications in the treatment of microbial diseases were investigated.