Electrospun Fibers of Polyester, with Both Nano- and Micron Diameters, Loaded with Antioxidant for Application as Wound Dressing or Tissue Engineered Scaffolds

Abstract

Antioxidant loaded poly­(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning and then tested – mechanically and characterized via microscopy imaging. These mats are intended to be used in tissue repair or for wound healing, and their aim is to enhance the biocompatibility by reducing the inflammatory response related to biomaterials via the release of reactive oxygen species, (ROS)-responsive molecules, with antifibrotic properties over a certain length of time. Of the antioxidants studied, only allicin, curcumin, piperine, polydatin, and quercetin were found to be miscible with the polyester and gave rise to better processing by electrospinning and a greater homogeneity of the mats. The scaffolds of different fiber morphologies (micro-, nano-, or micronanostructured, the latter more closely mimicking the structure of the extracellular matrix of soft tissue) filled with 5% of antioxidant, showed a Young’s modulus and tensile strengths lower than those of pure PCL (i.e., elastic modulus of 5–9 MPa vs 12–27 MPa for PCL) but exhibited very interesting mechanical behavior for soft tissue engineered applications with elongation at breaks higher than 25% at room temperature. In a preliminary study, human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were also seeded in several scaffolds and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and showed that the cells were able to attach, survive, and grow in these 3D culture systems.

Assessment of Biocompatibility and Vascular Effects of Polymeric Materials Using Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane, an Alternative Method

“…These results could be justified due to the morphology of the spunbonded surface. As mentioned before, this material is formed by fibrous webs and has a large specific surface area, that provides contact with the wound and can interact with the extracellular matrix; [18,24] this may explain the increase in the blood vessels area in contrast to the other groups.…”

“…[17] The fiber fineness of the produced product is about 0.1-5 µm the membranes have a thickness of 600 µm. The study developed by Fernandez and collaborators [18] highlights its potential to become a device for wound healing.…”

Development of bioactive electrospun scaffolds suitable to support skin fibroblasts and release Lucilia sericata maggot excretion/secretion

“…There are a number of examples of active dressings based on electrospun scaffolds containing growth factors, antimicrobials and other drugs (i.e antioxidants) [37,38].…”

Multistage-Split Ultrafine Fluffy Nanofibrous Membrane for High-Efficiency Antibacterial Air Filtration

“…Nevertheless, Cur and CS synergistically enhance the antibacterial properties and achieve antibiosis. − However, there are a few reports on the development of air filters with this synergistic effect. CS and Cur have weak electrospinnabilities; , for this reason, some researchers combined CS or Cur with electrospinnable polymers (e.g., polyamide 6 (PA6), poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly­(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), and polycaprolactone) through hydrogen bonds and then fabricated nanofibers via electrospinning. − However, inserting large quantities of natural antibacterial agents in the ultrafine nanofibers of an air filter is a challenge.…”