Pullulan nanofibers containing antimicrobial peptide derived from LfcinB an option as biomaterial for wound dressings.

Electrospinning was used to produce fibrous membranes, in single and multiple layers, from poly(ε-caprolactone), pullulan, and from mixtures of poly(ε-caprolactone) with potato modified starch and β-glucan. It was possible to obtain single-layer membranes from solutions of pullulan in water, poly(ε-caprolactone) in chloroform, and from mixtures of poly(ε-caprolactone)/β-glucan and poly(ε-caprolactone)/potato modified starch in chloroform. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the formation of ultrathin homogeneous fibers from electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) and pullulan, whereas the fibers obtained from mixtures of poly(ε-caprolactone)/ β -glucan and poly(ε-caprolactone)/potato modified starch had different sizes and morphologies, as well as irregular microstructures, characterized by the presence of beads. Contact angle analyses showed that pullulan membranes were extremely hydrophilic, while poly(ε-caprolactone) membranes were predominantly hydrophobic. Subsequently, poly(ε-caprolactone)-pullulan-poly(ε-caprolactone) multilayer membranes, with intermediate wettability, were prepared by successive electrospinning steps. Infrared spectroscopy and calorimetric analyses showed the presence of both polymers and the absence of changes in their structure and stability due to electrospinning, indicating adequate compatibility between the two polymers. We foresee that the polyester-polysaccharide multilayer membrane might be used as a biodegradable vehicle for active agents with different hydrophobicity, with applications as food packaging and biocompatible scaffold materials.

No abstract

No abstract

Electrospinning is an electrohydrodynamic technique that transforms a polymer solution into nano/microscopic diameter fibers under the influence of a high-voltage electric field. Its use in the fabrication of nano/micro fibrous membranes as scaffolds for tissue engineering has increased rapidly in recent years due to its efficiency and reproducibility. The objective of this study is to show how the use of the same polymeric solution (polycaprolactone 9% w/v in chloroform: isopropanol 50:50) and identical electrohydrodynamic deposition parameters produces fibers with different characteristics using a flat collector platform with movements in the X and Y axes vs. a conventional rotary collector. The manufactured nano/microfibers show significant differences in most of their characteristics (morphology, roughness, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties). Regarding the diameter and porosity of the fibers, the results were similar. Given that scaffolds must be designed to guarantee adequate survival and the proliferation and migration of a certain cell type, in this study we analyze how the variations in the characteristics of the fibers obtained are essential to defining their potential application.

No abstract