Recently, the Southern Characteristic Crop Genetics and Breeding Innovation Team from the Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IBFC, CAAS), in collaboration with Hunan University and the Sanya National Southern Breeding Research Institute (CAAS), has developed a novel biomaterial derived from Citrus aurantium L. This innovation integrates anti-infective and pro-regenerative properties, pioneering a new therapeutic approach for diabetic non-healing wounds.

The study utilized natural pectin extracted from citrus processing by-products to construct a three-dimensional (3D) network hydrogel system through molecular structural design. This system not only demonstrates excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability but also serves as a bioactive carrier for loading and delivering silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) derived from Fructus Aurantii (FA, a traditional Chinese medicine). Through a green synthesis process, researchers extracted bioactive components from Fructus Aurantii to reduce Ag⁺ and synthesize FA-Ag NPs, which exhibited robust antibacterial activity alongside notable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. When combined with citrus pectin hydrogel (CPH), this formulation significantly improved biocompatibility and accelerated wound repair processes. In a diabetic mouse model infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the FA-Ag NPs/CPH hydrogel demonstrated superior therapeutic efficacy, achieving a 2.7-fold acceleration in healing rate compared to the control group. The healed tissue exhibited well-ordered collagen arrangement and complete regeneration of skin appendages, closely approximating healthy skin structure.

This study transforms citrus processing by-products into medical-grade materials, effectively elevating the added value of the citrus industry. As a breakthrough in medical materials, this citrus-derived hydrogel shows promise for treating complex wounds such as chronic ulcers and burns, offering an innovative "agri-medical integration" paradigm for the biomedical materials field. Moreover, it was financially supported by the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP) of CAAS (ASTIP- IBFC09) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2025JJ50075).

The relevant research findings has been published in the journal "International Journal of Biological Macromolecules" under the title "Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Fructus Aurantii-Loaded Citrus Pectin Hydrogel for Accelerated Healing of MRSA-Infected Diabetic Wounds", and it can be accessed through the following link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144222

Fig. Schematic diagram of the preparation of FA-Ag NPs/CPH and the in vivo antibacterial and wound healing

By Chang Li

(changli@caas.cn)