OBJECTIVE To prepare a glycyrrhizic acid-aluminum ion metal coordination (GA-Al) hydrogel and to characterize the structure and evaluate the in vitro properties of this self-assembled traditional Chinese medicine hydrogel.

METHODS GA-Al hydrogel was synthesized using a hot dissolution technique. The morphological features of GA and GA-Al were compared and analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Rheological methods were used to evaluate its mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the self-assembly mechanism was elucidated through Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) . Biocompatibility was assessed using the CCK-8 cytotoxicity assay and the hemolysis assay. Additionally, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were investigated through the DPPH free radical scavenging assay and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cell inflammation model respectively.

RESULTS GA-Al hydrogel demonstrated excellent mechanical stability and showed healable, reversible, and injectable properties. Its microstructure consisted of dense, sheet-like or block-like aggregates. In vitro cell experiments showed that this hydrogel possesses good anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activities and biocompatibility.

CONCLUSION The research indicates that GA-Al hydrogel not only possesses favorable material properties but also exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, along with commendable biocompatibility. Consequently, it holds substantial clinical research value as a bioactive dressing for wound treatment.