Infected wounds feature an acidic microenvironment, providing an endogenous stimulus for targeted therapy. Taking advantage of the acid-triggered decomposition of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), we constructed a pH-responsive theranostic composite (denoted as SH@ZIF-8/AgNPs, with shikonin encapsulated within ZIF-8 and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated on its surface) by encapsulating the bioactive compound shikonin (SH) within ZIF-8 and subsequently growing AgNPs in situ on its surface. The composite exhibited a high SH loading capacity (44.2%) and encapsulation efficiency (73.7%). Upon exposure to acidic infectious conditions, the ZIF-8 framework degraded, leading to on-demand release of SH and Ag + ions, which together exhibited synergistic antibacterial effects against wound pathogens. Notably, the released components not only displayed enhanced antibacterial activity but also demonstrated potent concentration-dependent radical scavenging ability, mitigating oxidative stress. This work presents a dual-functional platform integrating antimicrobial intervention with antioxidant protection, offering a promising non-antibiotic strategy for smart, pH-responsive wound dressings in infected wound management.
Li et al. (Sun,) studied this question.