Potential Wound Healing Applications Research Articles

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of aqueous fraction of Moringa oleifera Leaves

Wound healing process could be disrupted by oxidative stress due to presence of reactive oxygen specie (ROS) around the wound. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant properties of bioactive aqueous fraction of M. oleifera for potential wound healing application. Phytochemical screening was conducted using established methods to identify phytochemical composition of the aqueous fraction. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using standard methods of DPPH, phosphomolybdenum, FRAP, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. Phytochemical compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, saponin glycosides, steroids and volatile oils were found in the bioactive aqueous fraction. The antioxidant assay results showed high antioxidant capacity of aqueous fraction when compared to positive control (standard ascorbic acid). We may therefore conclude that, the capacity to modulate production and quenching of free radicals may contribute significantly to the demonstrated ability of aqueous fraction of M. oleifera to possess pharmacological activity.
 Keywords: Moringa oleifera, phytochemical compounds, free radicals, antioxidants,

Mercaptolated chitosan/methacrylate gelatin composite hydrogel for potential wound healing applications

In this study, medical hydrogels (TGs) were fabricated based on thiolate-modified chitosan (TCS) and methacrylate gelatin (GelMA) using the Thiol-Michael addition reaction. The hydrogels were formed via the Michael reaction between TCS and GelMA and determined to have an equilibrium swelling rate of more than 1100% while simultaneously providing a moist environment for the wound, and limiting crust formation. The porosity of the prepared hydrogel was also shown to have a positive correlation with the concentration of the thiolated chitosan in the formulation. A positive correlation between hydrogel strain and stress properties and increasing concentrations of thiolated chitosan was also observed. The cytocompatibility of the prepared hydrogels was also tested and confirmed using CCK-8 assay after 5 days of culture, and the best antimicrobial properties were observed with the hydrogel containing TCS and GelMA in the mass ratio of 1:2. The present study was, therefore, able to highlight the potential of a simple and low-cost approach to developing cytocompatible hydrogels with antibacterial properties and tunable mechanical properties based on the well-studied GelMA. This study implies that the produced hydrogels can have future applications in fabricating skin wound healing dressings.

Novel Curcumin-Encapsulated α-Tocopherol Nanoemulsion System and Its Potential Application for Wound Healing in Diabetic Animals.

Objective This project was aimed at formulating a novel nanoemulsion system and evaluating it for open incision wound healing in diabetic animals. Methods The nanoemulsions were characterized for droplet size and surface charge, drug content, antioxidant and antimicrobial profiling, and wound healing potential in diabetic animals. The skin samples excised were also analyzed for histology, mechanical strength, and vibrational and thermal analysis. Results The optimized nanoemulsion (CR-NE-II) exhibited droplet size of26.76 ± 0.9 nm with negative surface charge (−10.86 ± 1.06 mV), was homogenously dispersed with drug content of68.05 ± 1.2%, released almost82.95 ± 2.2%of the drug within first 2 h of experiment with synergistic antioxidant (95 ± 2.1%) and synergistic antimicrobial activity against selected bacterial strains in comparison to blank nanoemulsion, and promoted significantly fast percent reepithelization (96.47%). The histological, vibrational, thermal, and strength analysis of selected skin samples depicted a uniform and even distribution of collagen fibers which translated into significant increase in strength of skin samples in comparison to the control group. Conclusions The optimized nanoemulsion system significantly downregulated the oxidative stress, enhanced collagen deposition, and precluded bacterial contamination of wound, thus accelerating the skin tissue regeneration process.

Fabrication and Preliminary In Vitro Evaluation of 3D-Printed Alginate Films with Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Nanoparticles for Potential Wound-Healing Applications.

In this study, drug carrier nanoparticles comprised of Pluronic-F127 and cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG) were developed, and their wound healing action was studied. They were further incorporated in 3D printed films based on sodium alginate. The prepared films were characterized morphologically and physicochemically and used to evaluate the drug release profiles of the nanoparticles. Additional studies on their water loss rate, water retention capacity, and 3D-printing shape fidelity were performed. Nanoparticles were characterized physicochemically and for their drug loading performance. They were further assessed for their cytotoxicity (MTT Assay) and wound healing action (Cell Scratch Assay). The in vitro wound-healing study showed that the nanoparticles successfully enhanced wound healing in the first 6 h of application, but in the following 6 h they had an adverse effect. MTT assay studies revealed that in the first 24 h, a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL nanoparticles resulted in satisfactory cell viability, whereas CBG nanoparticles were safe even at 48 h. However, in higher concentrations and after a threshold of 24 h, the cell viability was significantly decreased. The results also presented mono-disperse nano-sized particles with diameters smaller than 200 nm with excellent release profiles and enhanced thermal stability. Their entrapment efficiency and drug loading properties were higher than 97%. The release profiles of the active pharmaceutical ingredients from the films revealed a complete release within 24 h. The fabricated 3D-printed films hold promise for wound healing applications; however, more studies are needed to further elucidate their mechanism of action.

Fabrication of uniform lignin nanoparticles with tunable size for potential wound healing application

The construction of lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) with both lignin properties and nanomaterial properties through controlling the morphologies and structures of lignin is one of the effective ways to realize its application in the field of biomedicine. Firstly, the morphology and chemical structure of LNPs were studied in detailed. The results showed that the chemical structural characteristics of LNPs had not changed significantly and its morphology was more regular shape and narrower size distribution (50–350 nm). Besides, LNPs also exhibited excellent water dispersion stability and high negative zeta potential. Subsequently, LNPs as wound dressings had good antioxidant property, excellent adsorption capacity of protein, outstanding bactericidal activity and remarkable biocompatibility, suggesting that LNPs did not interfere with cell proliferation during wound healing. Finally, the in vivo results of mouse wounds further illustrated that treatment of wounded skin wounds with LNPs enhanced its effective healing. After 15 days, as compared with the untreated control and original lignin (OL) groups, the wounds treated of LNPs was completely closed and granulation tissue formation was advanced. Overall, this study can be a good method for high-value applications of LNPs, and highlighting the advantages of using lignin as medical adjuvant nanomaterials to accelerate wound healing.

Fast-Forming Dissolvable Redox-Responsive Hydrogels: Exploiting the Orthogonality of Thiol–Maleimide and Thiol–Disulfide Exchange Chemistry

Fast-forming yet easily dissolvable hydrogels (HGs) have potential applications in wound healing, burn incidences, and delivery of therapeutic agents. Herein, a combination of a thiol–maleimide conjugation and thiol–disulfide exchange reaction is employed to fabricate fast-forming HGs which rapidly dissolve upon exposure to dithiothreitol (DTT), a nontoxic thiol-containing hydrophilic molecule. In particular, maleimide disulfide-terminated telechelic linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer and PEG-based tetrathiol macromonomers are employed as gel precursors, which upon mixing yield HGs within a minute. The selectivity of the thiol–maleimide conjugation in the presence of a disulfide linkage was established through 1H NMR spectroscopy and Ellman’s test. Rapid degradation of HGs in the presence of thiol-containing solution was evident from the reduction in storage modulus. HGs encapsulated with fluorescent dye-labeled dextran polymers and bovine serum albumin were fabricated, and their cargo release was investigated under passive and active conditions upon exposure to DTT. One can envision that the rapid gelation and fast on-demand dissolution under relatively benign conditions would make these polymeric materials attractive for a range of biomedical applications.

Development, characterization and in vivo evaluation of the ointment containing hyaluronic acid for potential wound healing applications

Wound healing is a complex biological process. In this context, hyaluronic acid (HA) plays an important role in all phases of wound healing, from inflammation to the remodelling process. Nevertheless, its presence in adults decreases by 50% compared to newborns, which drastically reduces tissue regeneration. In this sense, this work presented a new method of extracting HA from chicken combs, as well as the development and in vivo evaluation of an ointment composed of vaseline, lanolin and HA 1% (w/w) for wound healing. The rheological analysis showed that the ointment containing HA has a viscoelastic behaviour. The in vivo test showed on the 7th day that the group treated with the ointment containing HA had a wound area of 0.07 cm2 against 0.09 cm2 of the ointment without HA (vaseline, and lanolin). On the other hand, the groups treated with the HA ointment had a higher mean percentage of collagen and better healing on the 14th day. The results of this paper indicate that the new method used to obtain HA is feasible, low-cost, and easy to obtain. Furthermore, the HA containing ointment improved wound healing. Therefore, the obtained ointment has great potential for use as an effective biomaterial in wound healing.

Spontaneous Gelation of Adhesive Catechol Modified Hyaluronic Acid and Chitosan.

Spontaneously formed hydrogels are attracting increasing interest as injectable or wound dressing materials because they do not require additional reactions or toxic crosslinking reagents. Highly valuable properties such as low viscosity before external application, adequate filmogenic capacity, rapid gelation and tissue adhesion are required in order to use them for those therapeutic applications. In addition, biocompatibility and biodegradability are also mandatory. Accordingly, biopolymers, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan (CHI), that have shown great potential for wound healing applications are excellent candidates due to their unique physiochemical and biological properties, such as moisturizing and antimicrobial ability, respectively. In this study, both biopolymers were modified by covalent anchoring of catechol groups, and the obtained hydrogels were characterized by studying, in particular, their tissue adhesiveness and film forming capacity for potential skin wound healing applications. Tissue adhesiveness was related to o-quinone formation over time and monitored by visible spectroscopy. Consequently, an opposite effect was observed for both polysaccharides. As gelation advances for HA-CA, it becomes more adhesive, while competitive reactions of quinone in CHI-CA slow down tissue adhesiveness and induce a detriment of the filmogenic properties.

Investigation of the 3D Printability of Covalently Cross-Linked Polypeptide-Based Hydrogels.

The 3D printability of poly(l-lysine-ran-l-alanine) and four-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (P(KA)/4-PEG) hydrogels as 3D biomaterial inks was investigated using two approaches to develop P(KA)/4-PEG into 3D biomaterial inks. Only the “composite microgel” inks were 3D printable. In this approach, P(KA)/4-PEG hydrogels were processed into microparticles and incorporated into a polymer solution to produce a composite microgel paste. Polymer solutions composed of either 4-arm PEG-acrylate (4-PEG-Ac), chitosan (CS), or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were used as the matrix material for the composite paste. The three respective composite microgel inks displayed good 3D printability in terms of extrudability, layer-stacking ability, solidification mechanism, and 3D print fidelity. The biocompatibility of P(KA)/4-PEG hydrogels was retained in the 3D printed scaffolds, and the biofunctionality of bioinert 4-PEG and PVA hydrogels was enhanced. CS-P(KA)/4-PEG inks demonstrated excellent 3D printability and proved highly successful in printing scaffolds with a narrow strand diameter (∼200 μm) and narrow strand spacing (∼500 μm) while the integrity of the vertical and horizontal pores was maintained. Using different needle IDs and strand spacing, certain physical properties of the hydrogels could be tuned, while the 3D printed porosity was kept constant. This included the surface area to volume ratio, the macropore sizes, and the mechanical properties. The scaffolds demonstrated adequate adhesion and spreading of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts seeded on the scaffold surfaces for 4 days. Consequently, the scaffolds were considered suitable for potential applications in wound healing, as well as other soft tissue engineering applications. Apart from the contribution to new 3D biomaterial inks, this work also presented a new and facile method of processing covalently cross-linked hydrogels into 3D printed scaffolds. This could potentially “unlock” the 3D printability of biofunctional hydrogels, which are generally excluded from 3D printing applications.

Iron manganese silicate incorporated bioactive hydrogels for therapy of skin tumor

There is clinical need to develop a multifunctional composite hydrogel for effectively removing residual tumor tissue and promoting wound healing after surgical resection of skin tumors. Herein, an iron manganese silicate (FeMn(SiO4))-incorporated bioactive hydrogel for photothermal therapy of skin tumor cells has been successfully designed in the present study. The synthesized FeMn(SiO4) (FMS) possessed a hollow sphere structure with rough surface, showing favorable photothermal effect. By incorporating FMS into the sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel, the prepared composite hydrogel (FMS/SA) exhibited the function of eliminating skin tumor cells in vitro by photothermal therapy (PTT). Moreover, attributed to the released bioactive ions (e.g., Fe, Mn and Si ions) from FMS, the FMS/SA composite hydrogel presented desirable biocompatibility, which is expected to benefit for skin wound healing of patients after skin tumor resection. Overall, the FMS/SA composite hydrogel has potential application in skin tumor therapy and wound healing, providing an effective and feasible strategy for the development of a comprehensive therapy for skin tumor after surgery.

Preparation and Evaluation of Chitosan/PVA Based Hydrogel Films Loaded with Honey for Wound Healing Application

In the present study, chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based honey hydrogel films were developed for potential wound healing application. The hydrogel films were developed by a solvent-casting method and were evaluated in terms of thickness, weight variation, folding endurance, moisture content and moisture uptake. The water vapor transmission rate was found to range between 1650.50 ± 35.86 and 2698.65 ± 76.29 g/m2/day. The tensile strength and elongation at break were found to range between 4.74 ± 0.83 and 38.36 ± 5.39 N, and 30.58 ± 3.64 and 33.51 ± 2.47 mm, respectively, indicating significant mechanical properties of the films. SEM images indicated smooth surface morphology of the films. FTIR, DSC and in silico analysis were performed, which highlighted the docking energies of the protein–ligand complex and binding interactions such as hydrogen bonding, Pi–Pi bonding, and Pi–H bonding between the selected compounds and target proteins; hence, we concluded, with the three best molecules (lumichrome, galagin and chitosan), that there was wound healing potential. In vitro studies pointed toward a sustained release of honey from the films. The antimicrobial performance of the films was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the results signaled the potential application of chitosan/PVA based hydrogel films as wound dressings. Furthermore, in vivo experiments may be required to evaluate the clinical efficacy of honey-loaded chitosan/PVA hydrogel films in wound healing.

Production and characterization of hybrid nanofiber wound dressing containing Centella asiatica coated silver nanoparticles by mutual electrospinning method

The aim of this work is to produce a therapeutic and antimicrobial nanofiber wound dressing material with suitable air permeability, water vapor transmission, water absorption, porosity, thermal and mechanical strength. For this purpose, first of all, Centella asiatica (CA) coated silver nanoparticles (CA-AgNPs) are synthesized with using CA extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. The green synthesized CA-AgNPs are characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), zeta potential and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements. The obtained CA-AgNPs give a single peak in the 420–430 nm range between 200 and 700 nm due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The average zeta potential and size of CA-AgNPs is found to be −30.4 mV and 14.8 ± 7.3 nm, respectively. Then, poly caprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanofibers composition containing CA-AgNPs is synthesized by mutual electrospinning method. Before electrospinning, the PCL solution (12% w/v in chloroform/methanol (70%/30%, v/v)), PEO solution (3.5%, w/v in water) and PEO solutions containing 1%, 5% and 10% (v:v) of CA-AgNPs are prepared. In electrospinning experiments, to synthesis the PCL/PEO nanofibers containing CA-AgNPs, an electrospinning set-up consisting of two high voltage sources, an aluminum rotary roller collector and two syringe pumps (one with a double syringe and the other with a single syringe) is used. To produce the wound dressing materials, PEO solutions containing CA-AgNPs are placed on the double syringe pump and PCL solution is placed on the single syringe pump. The surface and physico-chemical properties of the produced hybrid nanofibers are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersion spectrometry (EDS), FTIR, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and porosity analyzer. Also, the thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained materials are investigated. In addition, the air permeability, water uptake capacity, water contact angle, water vapor transmission, in vitro degradation and silver release behavior of the samples are investigated. The results show that mutual dual-spinneret electrospinning technique combines the features of dissimilar components without corruption. Moreover, the in vitro degradation profile and silver release results show that these nanofibers could be used in wound dressing applications in the long term. With antimicrobial studies, PEO/PCL nanofibers containing 5% and 10% CA-AgNPs are found to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Also, the cytotoxic properties of nanofibers are investigated by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and results show the good biocompatibility for L929 fibroblast cells. Results reveal that CA-AgNPs loaded PCL/PEO hybrid nanofibers materials synthesized in this study has a promising potential for wound healing applications.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes functionalized bacterial cellulose as an efficient healing material for diabetic wounds

The unique pool of features makes bacterial cellulose (BC) a robust platform to tailor its functionalities. Herein, the BC matrix was reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) to control infection and accelerate the healing process of diabetic wounds. The prepared BC-MWCNT composite film was characterized and antibacterial activity was assessed. Further, the in-vivo wound healing activity was performed and temporal expression of interleukin (IL-1α), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelets derived growth factor (PDGF) was quantitatively measured by real-time PCR. The characterization results confirmed the reinforcement of the BC matrix with MWCNT. The composite film showed antibacterial activity against all the tested strains. Moreover, the macroscopic analysis of the wound demonstrated faster closure of the diabetic wound in BC-MWCNT group (99% healing) as compared to negative control (77%) in 21 days. Histological studies further supported the results where complete reepithelization of the epidermis and healthy granulation tissue were observed in BC-MWCNT treated group. Molecular studies revealed that BC-MWCNT group showed relatively lesser expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α and TNF-α and higher expression of VEGF than control that may have favored the faster healing. This study suggested that the tailorable properties of BC can be exploited to develop composites with potential applications in diabetic wound healing.

Physically cross-linked PVA-quaternized chitosan-Ag NPs composite hydrogel membranes for potential topical wound healing applications: Synthesis, physicochemical properties, and in vitro bioevaluation

Physically cross-linked PVA-quaternized chitosan-Ag NPs composite hydrogel membranes for potential topical wound healing applications: Synthesis, physicochemical properties, and in vitro bioevaluation

Avian Egg: A Multifaceted Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering.

Most components in avian eggs, offering a natural and environmentally friendly source of raw materials, hold great potential in tissue engineering. An avian egg consists of several beneficial elements: the protective eggshell, the eggshell membrane, the egg white (albumen), and the egg yolk (vitellus). The eggshell is mostly composed of calcium carbonate and has intrinsic biological properties that stimulate bone repair. It is a suitable precursor for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphate, which are particularly relevant for bone tissue engineering. The eggshell membrane is a thin protein-based layer with a fibrous structure and is constituted of several valuable biopolymers, such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, that are also found in the human extracellular matrix. As a result, the eggshell membrane has found several applications in skin tissue repair and regeneration. The egg white is a protein-rich material that is under investigation for the design of functional protein-based hydrogel scaffolds. The egg yolk, mostly composed of lipids but also diverse essential nutrients (e.g., proteins, minerals, vitamins), has potential applications in wound healing and bone tissue engineering. This review summarizes the advantages and status of each egg component in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, but also covers their current limitations and future perspectives.

Synergistic Effect of Glycyrrhizic Acid and ZnO/Palygorskite on Improving Chitosan-Based Films and Their Potential Application in Wound Healing.

The synergistic effect of chitosan (CS), glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and ZnO/palygorskite (ZnO/PAL) as potential wound dressing was evaluated in the form of films by the solution casting method. The nanocomposite films were well-characterized with ATR-FTIR, XRD and SEM to explore the interactions between CS, GA and ZnO/PAL. Physical, mechanical and antibacterial properties of the nanocomposite films were systematically investigated for their reliability in end-up utilization. Importantly, it was found that the presence of PAL in the films provided enhanced mechanical properties, whereas CS, GA and ZnO supplied a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, especially for drug-resistant bacteria such as ESBL—E. coli and MRSA. Overall, this research demonstrated that the prepared films can be a promising candidate for wound-care materials.

Surface modification of electrospun wound dressing material by Fe2O3 nanoparticles incorporating Lactobacillus strains for enhanced antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity

Demand for development of advanced antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents is growing due to the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant microbial infections. New antimicrobial surface coatings comprised of the synbiotics (the mixture of probiotics and prebiotics) and biologically synthesized nanoparticles can be an alternative therapy. In this study, two hybrids Lactobacillus plantarum-and Lactobacillus acidophilus-green Fe2O3 nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs-LAB) were fabricated for coating the polyvinyl alcohol-prebiotic gum arabic-polycaprolacton nanofibers surface (PVA-GA-PCL), which introduced the Fe2O3 NPs-LAB@PVA-GA-PCL as an emerging class of wound dressing materials. The physicochemical properties of Fe2O3 NPs-LAB hybrids and Fe2O3 NPs-LAB@PVA-GA-PCL were characterized using FE-SEM, EDS, EM, FTIR, XRD and ICP. The results showed spherical Fe2O3 NPs with a mean size diameter of < 100 nm incorporating LAB which revealed great antimicrobial potentials against pathogens Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. These results not only exhibited the biocompatibility of coated nanofibers towards the mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines, but also showed its antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy against the pathogens. The highest growth inhibition of Fe2O3 NPs-LAB@PVA-GA-PCL was obtained against C. albicans. Interestingly, the incorporation of probiotic Lactobacillus and prebiotic GA, as a synbiotic hybrid, revealed synergistic antimicrobial effects, implying their therapeutic potential for wound healing applications.

Injectable and Antioxidative HT/QGA Hydrogel for Potential Application in Wound Healing.

Hydrogels have gained a niche in the market as wound dressings due to their high water content and plasticity. However, traditional hydrogel wound dressings are difficult to fully adapt to irregular-shaped wound areas. Additionally, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated in the damaged area impede the wound healing process. Therefore, hydrogels with injectable and antioxidant properties offer promising qualities for wound healing, but their design and development remain challenges. In this study, HT/QGA (tyramine-grafted hyaluronic acid/gallic acid-grafted quaternized chitosan) hydrogels with injectable and antioxidant properties were prepared and characterized. This hydrogel exhibited excellent injectability, favorable antioxidant activity, and good biocompatibility. Moreover, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of HT/QGA hydrogel in a full-thickness skin injury model. These results suggested that HT/QGA hydrogel may offer a great potential application in wound healing.

Development of chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide loaded with vanadium doped titanium dioxide patch for visible light driven antibacterial activity and accelerated wound healing application

Wound healing is a multi-stage process that is dynamic, interactive, and complicated. However, many nanomaterials are employed to expedite wound healing by demonstrating antibacterial activity or boosting cell proliferation. But only one phase is focused during the wound healing process. As a result, there is a need for optimum wound dressing materials that promotes different wound healing cascades with ideal properties. Herein, Graphene Oxide loaded with vanadium (V) doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) blended with chitosan, and polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA/GO/TiO2-V) patch was developed for wound healing. XRD, FTIR and FE-SEM analyses were carried out to study the morphology and structural property of the patch. The fabricated patch has a high surface porosity, excellent moisture vapor transfer rate, appropriate swelling behaviour, and oxygen permeability, which results in an excellent moist environment for wound breathing and effective management of wound exudates. The antibacterial test showed significant antibacterial efficacy against wound infections in the presence of light when compared to dark. In-vitro analysis such as hemocompatibility, cytotoxicity, cell adhesion, and scratch assay show the predicted potential wound healing application with high biocompatibility. These results suggest that CS/PVA/GO/TiO2-V patch provides a microenvironment favourable to cells' growth and differentiation and positively modulates full-thickness wounds' healing.

Fabrication of polyamide 6/honey/boric acid mats by electrohydrodynamic processes for wound healing applications

In this study, polyamide 6, polyamide 6/honey, and polyamide 6/honey/boric acid nanofibrous mats were fabricated by electrospinning and electrospraying technique to be used in wound healing applications. The morphology and diameter of the fiber mats with and without honey and boric acid were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of fibers showed that all resulting fibers were in the nanometer range with 253–304 nm average fiber diameter. Fourier Transform Infrared spectrum (FT-IR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) thermograms showed the successful incorporation of honey and boric acid into the fibers. The results demonstrated that increasing the amount of boric acid slightly increased the fiber diameter. Moreover, boric acid incorporation enhanced the hydrophilicity of nanofibers. The wettability and thermal stability of fibers were quite suitable for wound healing applications. Antibacterial tests demonstrated that the polyamide 6/honey fiber was effective against Escherichia coli, while the polyamide 6/honey fibers loaded with boric acid at 5 and 10 wt% concentration were effective against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. However, the fibers had no antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The findings showed that polyamide 6/honey and polyamide 6/honey/boric acid nanofibrous scaffolds had desirable characteristics suitable for potential wound healing applications.