Non-immunogenic, porous and antibacterial chitosan and Antheraea mylitta silk sericin hydrogels as potential dermal substitute

•Porous hydrogels based on chitosan and Antheraea mylitta sericin.•Inherent antioxidant and antibacterial hydrogels.•Non-immunogenic and cytocompatible with human dermal fibroblasts.•Potential application as dermal substitute in skin tissue engineering. Limitation of existing grafts including restricted donor site, risks of immune reactions, infectious diseases and high cost alarms the growing need of natural, cost effective and functional graft as the dermal substitute. We fabricate stable (>6 weeks) and porous (57.23–75.22μm) yet flexible (in variable pH) matrices using Antheraea mylitta sericin crosslinked with well known biocompatible polysaccharide chitosan by natural crosslinker (genipin) without using any harsh chemical. The fabricated matrices are characterized in terms of chemical modifications (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), crystallinity (X-ray diffraction), swelling, degradability and thermal stability. The hydrogels show good adhesion, migration, proliferation and viability of human dermal fibroblasts. The matrices cause no significant immune response of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) and hemolysis of human blood. These also retain their intrinsic antioxidant (196.1±17.7μM Fe (II)/mg) and antibacterial (8–15mm zone of inhibition) properties. These results indicate their potential as a cost effective and antibacterial dermal substitute.