<p>The skin wound is a complex physiological system, and hydrogels are considered potential dressing materials due to the excellent microenvironments that they provide through their physicochemical and multifunctional characteristics. Herein, we have developed composite hydrogels with multifunctional characteristics as dressing materials from natural polymers (hyaluronic acid and chitosan) and polyvinyl alcohol by incorporating zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZiF-8) into the polymeric matrix. These composite hydrogels were characterized using advanced techniques, including FTIR, XRD, SEM, AFM, and DSC, to determine their structural properties, phase analysis, surface morphology, surface roughness, and thermal stability. However, the absorption capacity of biofluids was studied via swelling potential in different media in neutral pH at 37 ^oC aqueous, PBS, and NaCl media at 37 ^oC with different swelling behavior (Aqueous (min = 1549.57, max = 2482.39), PBS (min = 1109.44, max = 1988.36) and electrolyte (min = 808.26, max = 1367.32)). The degradation characteristics of the composite hydrogels and hydrogels with the least cross-linking showed more degradation. The hydrogels with maximum cross-linking exhibited less degradation compared to others. All composite hydrogels are cytocompatible, as they exhibit cell viability and proliferation in the presence of fibroblasts (3T3) with mature cell morphology, and accelerate wound healing under standard in vivo conditions in healthy SD rats. Similarly, increased wound healing was observed with composite hydrogels that exhibited maximum cross-linking. Therefore, these composite hydrogels could be advanced and innovative wound dressings supporting repair and regeneration in wound healing applications.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>The fabrication of composite hydrogel and its potential in vivo wound healing for wound healing applications</p>