1Assistant Professor, Chilkur Balaji College of Pharmacy, RangaReddy, Telangana, 500075, India
2Assistant Professor, HKES Matoshree Taradevi Rampure, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kalaburgi, Karnataka, 585102, India
3Associate Professor, Gokhale Education Society's, Sir Dr. M. S. Gosavi College of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Nashik, Maharashtra, 422005, India
4Assistant Professor, Faculty of pharmacy SBMCH Bharath University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600044, India
5Professor, Sanjay College of Pharmacy, RGUHS Bangalore, Belgaum, Karnataka, India
6Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, 643001, India
7Assistant Professor, Assam Down Town University, Kamrup Metro, Assam, 781026, India
8*Professor, MB School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mohan Babu University, Sree Sainath Nagar, Tirupati, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, 517102, India. Corresponding author.
Received: 12th Dec, 2025; Revised: 12th Feb 2026; Accepted: 13th Feb, 2026; Available Online: 10th March, 2026
Prolonged healing and the emergence of antibiotic resistance render burn wound infections a significant challenge in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hydrogel dressings infused with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an antibacterial agent in a murine model of burn wound infection. A biocompatible hydrogel matrix was employed to synthesize silver nanoparticles, which then underwent physicochemical characterization and antibacterial evaluation. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were administered to mice via full-thickness burn wounds. Four groups of animals were selected for the experiment: control, plain hydrogel, standard therapy (silver sulfadiazine), and hydrogel infused with AgNPs. The therapy was applied topically once daily for fourteen days. A 3.2 log reduction in bacterial load was seen in the AgNP-loaded hydrogel group relative to the control group (p < 0.001), signifying potent antibacterial efficacy. After 14 days, the treated group exhibited significantly greater wound contraction (92.4%) compared to the plain hydrogel (71.6%), conventional treatment (85.3%), and control (54.2%) groups. The epithelialization period in the control group was 16.5 ± 1.2 days, whereas in the AgNP group, it decreased to 11.2 ± 0.8 days. Histopathological studies indicated that the AgNP-treated group exhibited superior tissue regeneration, reduced inflammatory infiltration, and increased collagen deposition. This study offers promising prospects for the management of infected burn wounds, demonstrating that hydrogel dressings infused with AgNPs exhibit potent antibacterial efficacy and significantly accelerate the healing process.
Keywords: Silver nanoparticles, hydrogel dressing, burn wound, antimicrobial activity, wound healing, mice model
How to cite this article: Rajithasree T, Karadi P, Ghegade RY, Jothika P, Murtale SA, Murugesan J, Devi R, MR J. In-Vivo Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles-Loaded Hydrogel Dressings in Burn Wound Infections in Mice. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(16s): 625. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.16s.69
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None