Novel electrospun poly-hydroxybutyrate scaffolds as carriers for the wound healing agents alkannins and shikonins.

Athanasios S Arampatzis,Angélique Rat,Konstantinos Theodoridis,Vassilios P Papageorgiou,Elli Kampasakali,Konstantinos N Kontogiannopoulos,Ioannis Tsivintzelis,Anne Willems,Dimitrios Christofilos,Eleni Aggelidou,Aristeidis Kritis,Andreana N Assimopoulou,Konstantina Giannakoula

doi:10.1093/rb/rbab011

Athanasios S Arampatzis, Angélique Rat + Show 11 more

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https://doi.org/10.1093/rb/rbab011

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of novel electrospun fiber mats loaded with alkannin and shikonin (A/S) derivatives, using as carrier a highly biocompatible, bio-derived, eco-friendly polymer such as poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid] (PHB). PHB fibers containing a mixture of A/S derivatives at different ratios were successfully fabricated via electrospinning. Αs evidenced by scanning electron microscopy, the fibers formed a bead-free mesh with average diameters from 1.25 to 1.47 μm. Spectroscopic measurements suggest that electrospinning marginally increases the amorphous content of the predominantly crystalline PHB in the fibers, while a significant drug amount lies near the fiber surface for samples of high total A/S content. All scaffolds displayed satisfactory characteristics, with the lower concentrations of A/S mixture-loaded PHB fiber mats achieving higher porosity, water uptake ratios, and entrapment efficiencies. The in vitro dissolution studies revealed that all samples released more than 70% of the encapsulated drug after 72 h. All PHB scaffolds tested by cell viability assay were proven non-toxic for Hs27 fibroblasts, with the 0.15 wt.% sample favoring cell attachment, spreading onto the scaffold surface, as well as cell proliferation. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of PHB meshes loaded with A/S mixture was documented for Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus.

Highlights

Human skin could be considered as body’s first line of defense against various environmental factors performing several functions, such as protection from pathogenic microorganisms and thermoregulation
We studied the fabrication of electrospun mats, loaded with A/S mixture, using poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid] (PHB) and their potential as wound dressings
Han et al have demonstrated the antibacterial activity of PCL/PTMC electrospun nanofibers loaded with shikonin (1 wt.% and 5 wt.% based on the weight of PCL/PTMC) against the Gram-positive pathogen, S. aureus and the Gram-negative, Escherichia coli [41]. This is the first study reporting the use of PHB as a biomaterial for loading the bioactive compounds alkannins and shikonins by means of electrospinning

Summary

Introduction

Human skin could be considered as body’s first line of defense against various environmental factors performing several functions, such as protection from pathogenic microorganisms and thermoregulation. Significant advances and progress have been made concerning wound care applications, moving on from conventional treatments (ointments and gauze bandages) to the use of advanced multifunctional wound dressings (e.g. biodegradable patches or porous matrices). When such dressings are applied on the wound, they offer protection from wound dehydration and pathogenic invasion, facilitating faster wound healing [3]. AWDs should preferably offer more sophisticated properties, such as biocompatibility and nontoxicity, absorption of accumulated wound exudates, thermal and mechanical resistance, sterile and nonallergic environment, nonsensitizing, and ability to maintain a prolonged drug release to the site of injury [6]

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