Biogenic AuNP-Loaded Electroconductive Hydrogels: A Multifunctional Therapeutic Strategy for Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Infarction.

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI), a leading global cause of death, triggers substantial cardiomyocyte loss and heart dysfunction. Current treatments, including guideline-directed cardioprotective drugs and revascularization, face limitations such as poor durability, donor shortages, and immune rejection. Injectable hydrogels and cardiac patches offer promising avenues for post-MI tissue regeneration, with electrical conductivity enhancing cardiac function. Curcumin-gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) further mitigate inflammation, oxidative stress, and infarct size. This study integrates curcumin-AuNPs with an electroconductive nanocomposite hydrogel via green chemistry, using curcumin as both a reducing and stabilizing agent. The resulting AuNPs exhibited a diameter of 32 ± 9 nm and zeta potential of -29.6 mV. Incorporation into the hydrogel yielded a porous nanocomposite (70%-80% porosity with interconnected pores, confirmed by SEM) that was biocompatible and multifunctional. In vitro antioxidant assays showed dose-dependent radical scavenging by AuNPs, peaking at 50 μg/mL. In isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury rats, hydrogel/AuNP administration significantly attenuated cardiac damage, reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and infarct size while preserving function. These findings demonstrate that curcumin-mediated AuNPs enable multifunctional, porous, antioxidant, and cardioprotective hydrogels with strong preclinical potential for MI repair and cardiovascular therapies.