Enhanced hemocompatibility and antioxidant efficacy of chitosan-PCL nanofibrous mats with olive oil and honey nika cream for wound healing applications

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative approach utilizing electrospun scaffold matrices comprising polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CS), enriched with active ingredients of olive and Honey Nika cream (NC). These matrices were assessed for their potential as advanced wound dressings. The microstructures shown uniformly smooth nanofibers with diameters ranging from 200 to 250 nm across various formulations. XRD results demonstrated that incorporating NC and CS simultaneously, increased the crystallinity of PCL. The thermal analysis illustrated that although the addition of NC and CS declined the thermal stability of PCL fibers, but had no significant influence on the microstructure of the PCL fibers, and scaffolds have suitable chemical stability. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of olive oil, honey, and propolis components in the scaffolds. The developed nanofibers demonstrated advantageous properties such as prolonged NC release due to the incorporation of chitosan, enhanced cell adhesion, optimal swelling and degradation rates, minimal hemolytic activity (less than 0.44%), and suitable antioxidant capabilities (approximately 50.97 for PNC mat). Further corroborated by in vitro cytocompatibility assessments via MTT assays were shown biocompatibility of the prepared nanofibrous mats. This research highlights the promise of PCL/CS electrospun nanofbrous scaffold for wound healing applications.