Electrospun Nanofibrous Mesh Based on PVA, Chitosan, and Usnic Acid for Applications in Wound Healing

Abstract

Injuries and diseases of the skin require accurate treatment using nontoxic and noninvasive biomaterials, which aim to mimic the natural structures of the body. There is a strong need to develop biodevices capable of accommodating nutrients and bioactive molecules and generating the process of vascularization. Electrospinning is a robust technique, as it can form fibrous structures for tissue engineering and wound dressings. The best way of forming such meshes for wound healing is to choose two polymers that complement each other regarding their properties. On the one hand, PVA is a water-soluble synthetic polymer widely used for the preparation of hydrogels in the field of biomedicine owing to its biocompatibility, water solubility, nontoxicity, and considerable mechanical properties. PVA is easy to subject to electrospinning and can offer strong mechanical stability of the mesh, but it is necessary to improve its biological properties. On the other hand, CS has good biological properties, including biodegradability, nontoxicity, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties. Still, it is harder to electrospin and does not possess as good mechanical properties as PVA. As these structures also allow the incorporation of bioactive agents due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, the interesting point was to incorporate usnic acid into the structure as it is a natural and suitable alternative agent for burn wounds treatment which avoids an improper or overuse of antibiotics and other invasive biomolecules. Thus, we report the fabrication of an electrospun nanofibrous mesh based on PVA, chitosan, and usnic acid with applications in wound healing. The obtained nanofibers mesh was physicochemically characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vitro biological assays were performed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of the samples using the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) assay and evaluating the influence of fabricated meshes on the Staphylococcus aureus biofilm development, as well as their biocompatibility (demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy results, an XTT assay, and a glutathione (GSH) assay).

Electrospun PVA Fibers for Drug Delivery: A Review

“…There are several studies where CS and PVA have been used to prepare drug-loaded electrospun fiber mats for wound dressing applications. A. Stoica Oprea et al explored CS, PVA, and usnic acid ( UA ) nanofibrous mesh for wound healing potential [ 88 ]. UA has been extensively explored for its healing properties for burns and wounds [ 89 , 90 ].…”

An Overview of Recent Developments in the Management of Burn Injuries

“…Biological properties are achieved by incorporating bioactive agents, such as usnic acid, which is an alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of burns. Stoica et al [178] described the fabrication of a nanofibrous, electrospun mesh based on PVA, chitosan and usnic acid with applications in wound healing. In a study in 2023 [179], bioactive nanofibrous zinc silicate Zn 2 SiO 4 (ZS) nanoparticles with spindle-like morphology were synthesized via a hydrothermal method.…”

A Hybrid Structure based on Silk Fibroin/PVA Nanofibers and Alginate/Gum Tragacanth Hydrogel Embedded with Cardamom Extract

“…One of the most commonly used polymers in skin tissue engineering based on the electrospinning method is PVA. PVA is a synthetic cost-e cient polymer with favorable water-solubility, nontoxicity, and biodegradability which has been widely used in wound dressing applications [25,26]. Since PVA can be produced in a wide range of molecular weights, it can be used to control the viscosity of electrospinning solution, tailor the properties of resulting bers, and aid the spinning process for natural polymers that cannot be electrospun alone [25].…”