Fabrication and evaluation of a bi-layered electrospun polyacrylonitrile/polycaprolactone-chitosan/gelatin/polyethylene oxide nanofibers containing antibiotics and nanoparticles: antibacterial and antibiofilm activity.
The fabricated nanofibers effectively inhibit bacterial biofilm formation by MRSA and P. aeruginosa and suggest potential use in reducing hospital-acquired infections and in applications such as drug delivery, tissue regeneration, and wound dressings, due to their controlled and sustained release of bioactive compounds for improved therapeutic outcomes.
Abstract
Bacterial wound infections are among the most frequent infections acquired in healthcare settings. The widespread use and overuse of antibiotics have contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Thus, it becomes essential to find alternative therapeutic strategies that can both accelerate wound healing and provide potent bactericidal effects. Electrospun nanofiber scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and vancomycin (Van) (Van-Ag-PAN/PCL), chitosan (Cs)/gelatin (Gel)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG) and ciprofloxacin (Cip) (Cip-BG-Cs/Gel/PEO) besides a bilayer nanofiber scaffold were fabricated and charachterized. Surface properties, antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility were evaluated using contact angle measurements, antioxidant assays, and hemolysis tests, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the fabricated nanofibers was assessed by MTT assay on the L929 fibroblast cell line. The antimicrobial effectiveness of the fabricated nanofibers against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated in vitro using disk diffusion methods, along with evaluations of biofilm formation inhibition and eradication capabilities. The results demonstrated that the electrospun Cip-BG-Cs/Gel/PEO scaffold and bilayer scaffold significantly inhibited one-day biofilm formation of both bacterial strains compared to the control group. Regarding one-day biofilm removal, the Van-Ag-PAN/PCL, Cip-BG-Cs/Gel/PEO and bilayer scaffolds exhibited high efficiency, achieving 66.3%, 68% and 69.3% eradication in MRSA and 34%, 69%, and 70% eradication in P. aeruginosa, respectively. The scaffolds were biocompatible and showed no cytotoxicity on L929 fibroblast cells. Their high antioxidant activity and lack of hemolysis confirm the strong potential of these materials for biotechnological applications. The study concludes that the fabricated nanofibers effectively inhibit bacterial biofilm formation by MRSA and P. aeruginosa. Their strong antibacterial properties suggest potential use in reducing hospital-acquired infections and in applications such as drug delivery, tissue regeneration, and wound dressings, due to their controlled and sustained release of bioactive compounds for improved therapeutic outcomes.
Multifunctional polymer scaffolds with mechanical support, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial activity are key for next-generation biomedical materials. We report the fabrication of electrospun nanocomposite fibers made from polycaprolactone (PCL), starch, and mesoporous aluminum oxide nanoparticles (n-Al2O3). Nanoparticles (11 ± 4 nm) were synthesized via a sol-gel method, predominantly comprising γ- and α-Al2O3 phases. Four fiber systems were fabricated by side-by-side electrospinning: PCL, PCL/starch, PCL/n-Al2O3, and PCL/starch/n-Al2O3. SEM analysis confirmed uniform and bead-free fibers in all formulations. Tensile tests showed that the incorporation of starch and nanoparticles improved the mechanical performance compared with neat PCL. In particular, PCL/starch/n-Al2O3 fibers exhibited increases of 404% in Young’s modulus and 102% in elongation at break. In PBS, starch and n-Al2O3 enhanced hydrophilicity and accelerated weight loss, with PCL/starch/n-Al2O3 showing the highest mass loss. Antibacterial tests indicated that only fibers with nanoparticles could inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with PCL/starch/n-Al2O3 showing a major effect. Although n-Al2O3 increased cytotoxicity toward NIH-3T3, starch mitigated this effect, and the ternary scaffold showed no detectable cytotoxicity. Moreover, PCL/starch/n-Al2O3 exhibited non-hemolytic behavior, enhanced fibroblast migration, and wound-healing-related protein expression. Overall, side-by-side electrospun PCL/starch/n-Al2O3 scaffold exhibited showed improved mechanical, biological, and antibacterial properties, supporting its potential as a wound-dressing material.
Felipe Gutiérrez, D. Zárate-Triviño, Francisco A. Cataño et al.· International Journal of Mol...· 0 citations
The objective of this study was to fabricate and evaluate chitosan(CS)/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) nanofibrous wound dressings incorporated with nisin and compare their performance with CS-PVA scaffolds. Nanofibers were produced via electrospinning under optimised conditions (18 kV voltage, 0.2 mL/h flow rate, and 120 mm tip-to-collector distance). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that incorporation of nisin increased the average fibre diameter from 114.5 nm to 125.8 nm, while porosity decreased from 89.13% to 86.21%. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. CS-PVA scaffolds showed no inhibition, whereas CS-PVA-nisin exhibited significant antibacterial activity with inhibition zones of 34.5 mm for S. aureus and 25.4 mm for E. coli. FTIR confirmed the successful incorporation of nisin through characteristic peaks at 3330 cm-1 and 2918 cm-1. Addition of nisin did not significantly affect tensile strength (1.6 MPa for both samples), although tensile strain decreased from 8% to 5.1% and Young's modulus increased from 20 MPa to 31.37 MPa. Contact angle measurements increased from 49° to 59°, indicating reduced hydrophilicity. MTT assay results demonstrated high cell viability for both scaffolds (95.2% for CS-PVA and 94.7% for CS-PVA-nisin), confirming their non-cytotoxic nature Overall, CS-PVA-nisin nanofibers exhibited enhanced antibacterial performance while maintaining suitable mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
Sepideh Ebrahimpoor, Azadeh Asefnejad, Mohsen Mohammadi· Journal of Medical Engineeri...· 0 citations
The developed wafer showed strong potential as an antibacterial wound dressing, providing controlled drug release along with fast-acting relief from bacterial infections and the anti-microbial potential of wafers was confirmed using the disc diffusion method.
S. Chowdhury, Syed Mahmood, M. A. Mirza et al.· Scientific Reports· 1 citation
The synergistic bioactive effects of CH and GO, along with the ECM-mimicking nanofibrous architecture of the electrospun dressing, demonstrate its potential as a promising candidate for the treatment of chronic wounds.
Alireza Sadeghi-Avalshahr, Simin Nazarnezhad, Negar Namaei-Ghasemnia et al.· Journal of Biomaterials Scie...· 0 citations
This PCL-CS/6% Fe2O3 hybrid compound offers potential as an alternative to engineered medical tissues for antimicrobial applications, allowing for the production of materials with optical and electrical properties, as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal effects.
Maher Hassan Rasheed, Mohsin K. Al-khaykanee, Q. Kadhim et al.· Polymer Bulletin· 0 citations
OBJECTIVE
Carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) possesses the elastic modulus similar to that of natural bone, yet its inherent surface hydrophobicity and bio-inertness restrict its application in oral implantation. To overcome this limitation, this study proposes the layer-by-layer surface functionalization strategy to construct the multifunctional CF/PEEK-based composite that integrates long-term antibacterial activity with synergistic osteogenic functions.
METHODS
After sulfonation of CF/PEEK with 98% H₂SO₄, the polydopamine-assisted nanohydroxyapatite (PDA-nHA) intermediate layer and the zinc-loaded carboxymethyl chitosan (Zn/CMCS) coating were sequentially constructed, yielding the SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS composite. A series of Characterizations including surface morphology, in vitro mineralization, antibacterial evaluation, cytocompatibility, osteogenic property, and osteogenesis-related gene mRNA expression levels were performed to assess in vitro biocompatibility and osteogenic performance.
RESULTS
SEM showed SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS possessed the 3D porous network, with uniformly deposited PDA-nHA presenting a fibrous network after Zn-CMCS wrapping. After SBF immersion, spherical apatite particles deposited on all samples. Water contact angles of SCP-PHA and SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS were significantly lower than SCF/PEEK. SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS significantly inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. All groups showed good biocompatibility and long-term biosafety. rBMSCs on SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS showed the highest adhesion density, proliferation, ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and osteogenesis-related gene mRNA expression levels, significantly outperforming the other groups and demonstrating the best in vitro osteogenic capacity.
CONCLUSION
To address the surface hydrophobicity and bioinertia of CF/PEEK, this study successfully constructed the multifunctional SCP-PHA-Zn/CMCS composite using sulfonation pretreatment and the layer-by-layer functionalization assembly strategy. The obtained material exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, excellent biocompatibility and antibacterial performance, and significantly promoted the adhesion and proliferation of rBMSCs, enhanced ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and osteogenesis-related gene mRNA expression levels, demonstrating outstanding in vitro osteogenic capacity. These findings provide experimental evidence and a novel design strategy for the clinical translation of CF/PEEK in oral implantation and bone defect repair.
Unknown authors· International Dental Journal· 0 citations
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