Electrospinning of smart nanofibers based on PVP/PDA for wound dressing applications

Abstract

In the present study, electrospinning of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polydiacetylene (PDA) with pomegranate peel (PG) extract was investigated for the preparation of smart and antibacterial nanofibers. Briefly, PDA-PVP solutions were firstly prepared at two different ratios and electrospun under different conditions. Based on the SEM results, the 1:3 ratio of PDA:PVP nanofibers, with an average fiber diameter of 130 ± 40 nm, electrospun at a voltage of 15 kV, feeding rate of 0.5 ml/h and collector distance of 15 cm was selected as the optimal conditions. The addition of PG resulted in an increase in the diameter of the fibers. The color of the electrospun fibers was altered from blue to red due to changes in either temperature or pH or exposure to different solvents. The antibacterial test showed high antimicrobial activity of the fibers loaded with PG extract against both S. aureus and E. coli. MTT assay and cell attachment also validated the biocompatibility of the fabricated nanofibers. Thus, the prepared smart PG-loaded nanofibers had a high potential to be used in wound dressing applications.