Electrospun fibers loaded with Cordia myxa L. fruit extract: Fabrication, characterization, biocompatibility and efficacy in wound healing

Abstract

The Cordia genus (Boraginaceae) has been traditionally used to accelerate wound healing. However, incorporation of Cordia extract into a nanofibrous wound dressing as a novel drug delivery system has not been examined yet. The objectives of the present study were to fabricate a wound dressing composed of electrospun nanofibers loaded with C. myxa fruit extract (CFE) and evaluate its wound healing effectiveness. Polyvinyl alcohol solutions containing 0, 2.5 or 5% (w/v) CFE were electrospun and the resultant fibrous mats were characterized for physicochemical properties, CFE release and in-vitro antioxidant activity. Biocompatibility of the selected CFE-loaded mat with human fibroblasts and its experimental wound healing efficacy were also evaluated. The 5% CFE-loaded mat showed thinner fibers (225 nm), higher porosity (83%), higher swelling (103.1%) and lesser in-vitro degradability (13.6%) compared to the neat mat. CFE release data of the 5% CFE-loaded mat best fitted in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (R2 = 97%, n = 0.47) showing a non-Fickian release mechanism. CFE-loaded fibers exhibited pronounced radical scavenging activity probably due to their phenolic and flavonoid content. The 5% CFE mat also enhanced human fibroblast proliferation (211.1%) after 5 days and significantly facilitated in-vivo wound healing through increasing wound closure, re-epithelization and collagen synthesis which was accompanied with less oxidative stress in wounds after 14 days. The present wound dressing simultaneously took advantage of having CFE as a unique healing enhancer and a nanofibrous scaffold totally making it eligible for more clinical investigations in wound care.