Fabrication of electrospun hydrogels loaded with Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br extract for infected wound

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a new generation electrospun hydrogels containing Ipomoea pes-caprae (IPC) leaf extract as wound dressing materials for infected wound. IPC leave extract (with the isochlorogenic acid A (ISA) content of 3.74 ± 0.53 mg/g) was prepared and used as an active compound. The electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers were fabricated using electrospinning process followed by thermal crosslink and extract adsorption. The obtained electrospun hydrogels were characterized and compared with conventional hydrogels. The electrospun hydrogels had significantly higher swelling ability and were more durable than the conventional hydrogels. The IPC extract was incorporated into the electrospun hydrogel with greater loading capacity than that in the conventional hydrogel. In addition, ISA was rapidly released from both hydrogels in the first 30 min, followed by a gradual release. The cumulative release of ISA from the electrospun hydrogel was significantly higher than that from the conventional hydrogel at 2 and 4 h. The IPC extract-loaded electrospun hydrogels demonstrated favorable antibacterial activity against S. aureus which was superior to that of a commercial dressing patch. Therefore, the IPC extract-loaded electrospun PVA hydrogel could be a potential candidate as a new generation hydrogel for infected wound. However, further in vivo investigation is needed for the clinical application.