An In Vitro Study of Antibacterial Properties of Electrospun Hypericum perforatum Oil-Loaded Poly(lactic Acid) Nonwovens for Potential Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The growth of population and increase in diseases that cause an enormous demand for biomedical material consumption is a pointer to the pressing need to develop new sustainable biomaterials. Electrospun materials derived from green polymers have gained popularity in recent years for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, wound dressings, and drug delivery. Among the various bioengineering materials used in the synthesis of a biodegradable polymer, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has received the most attention from researchers. Hypericum perforatum oil (HPO) has antimicrobial activity against a variety of bacteria. This study aimed to investigate the development of an antibacterial sustainable material based on PLA by incorporating HPO via a simple, low-cost electrospinning method. Chemical, morphological, thermal, thickness and, air permeability properties, and in vitro antibacterial activity of the electrospun nonwoven fabric were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the electrospun nonwoven fabric, which had bead-free morphology ultrafine fibers. Antibacterial tests revealed that the Hypericum perforatum oil-loaded poly(lactic acid) nonwoven fabrics obtained had high antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, indicating a strong potential for use in biomedical applications.

Special Features of Polyester-Based Materials for Medical Applications

“…Nanofibers based on PBSu [ 15 ], PLCL/PCL [ 163 ], PLA/Hypericum perforatum oil (HPO) [ 21 ], PLA/GO/Q [ 162 ], PLA/silver (I)-diclofenac complex with (2-methylimidazole) [ 168 ], and PBAT/PCL [ 22 ] are few examples of polyester-based materials successfully obtained via the electrospinning method.…”

“…The addition of acetic acid to the mixture of chloroform:ethanol to dissolve the PLCL/PCL copolymer prevented the formation of beads, and led to fibers with diameters in the range of 200 nm to 2.8 µm [ 163 ]. There were also reported nanofibers with diameters of 1.68 ± 0.58 µm and 1.51 ± 0.64 µm in the case of electrospun PLA/HPO [ 21 ], 1.107–1.243 µm in the case of PLA/GO/Q [ 162 ], and 1.9 ± 0.5 μm in the case of PHB/PCL modified with hybrid melanin–TiO 2 nanostructures [ 18 ], which are considered as adequate for cell adhesion and attachment. However, the nanofibers’ average diameters of 599.94 ± 112.04 nm [ 16 ], or in the range of 250–300 nm [ 20 ], permitted the controlled drug release, antimicrobial activity, and acceleration of the wound-healing process.…”

“…In addition, the thickness of electrospun nonwoven fabrics is an important parameter for air permeability favoring the healing of wound. It can be set from the volume of solution, as the thickness of the fabric can be ∼224 µm [ 21 ]. Innovative wound dressings made from renewable materials with proper mechanical properties were created by using a synthetic aliphatic polyester, PBSu, in the presence of a chain extender, diisocyanahexane (DCH), and natural food-grade components such as edible gums, essential oils, and free fatty acids by the electrospinning technique [ 15 ].…”

“…In an attempt to reduce the effects of adverse antibiotics, modern wound dressings loaded with natural antimicrobial agents such as proanthocyanidins (PCAN) extracted from Pelargonium sidoides [ 161 ], Annona leaf extracts [ 164 ], babassu oil [ 19 ], Hypericum perforatum oil (HPO) [ 21 ], melanin [ 18 ], and arginine and chitosan [ 174 ] were developed. Immunomodulatory properties toward skin keratinocytes in vitro were related in the case of olive leaf extract (OLE) incorporation in poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHB/poly(hydroxyoctanoate-co-hydroxydecanoate) (PHB/PHOHD) nanofibers, due to the antioxidant activity of oleuropein [ 175 ].…”

“…Wound-dressing materials should have important requirements related to their biocompatibility [ 15 ], wound healing [ 16 ], wound adhesion [ 17 , 18 ], maintenance of wound moisture [ 19 , 20 ], inhibition of the growth of bacteria [ 15 , 21 , 22 ], removal of excess exudates, and reductions in the dressing frequency [ 23 , 24 ].…”