Fabrication and evaluation of a bi-layered electrospun PCL/PVA patch for wound healing: Release of vitamins and silver nanoparticle

Abstract

There is still little research on the co-delivery of vitamins and AgNPs to accelerate wound healing. In this study, a bi-layered electrospun PCL/PVA patch loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, and AgNPs was fabricated using a co-spinning technique. SEM, FTIR, degradation, swelling, tensile strength, disk diffusion, and MTT assay were studied. Nine rats were placed in three groups (control: no treatment, G1: without agents, and G2: with agents) for 14 days in an in-vivo study. H&E and Masson Trichrome staining were employed for histological analysis. Results showed that the final electrospun wound dressings depicted nanofibers with diameters ranging from 100 to 500 nm. The presence of AgNP enhanced the mechanical strength (40-50 MPs). An appropriate swelling (100 %) and degradation (50 %) rate was observed for groups with no significant difference (P > 0.05). G1 and G2 did not show a significant difference in terms of porosity (65 % vs. 69 %). Regarding WVTR, G2 demonstrated higher WVTR (88 vs. 95 g/m². h). G2 showed a vitamin release of more than 90 % after 48 h. Compared to G1, G2 demonstrated good antibacterial activity (>3 cm) against E. Coli and S. aureous (P < 0.01), with cell viability of more than 93 % (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the in-vivo study approved that G2 accelerated wound healing in full-thickness wounds, compared to the control groups, with notable wound size reduction (8 mm), epithelialization, and collagen formation. The findings support the use of this simple but potent electrospun wound dressing for the healing of full-thickness wounds.

Keywords: Bi-layered; Co-delivery; Electrospinning; Nanoparticle; Vitamin; Wound dressing.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

SEM images and size distribution analysis for a) G1 and b) G2 groups. c) FTIR analysis of the fabricated electrospun patch.

Fig. 2

Results of a) elastic modulus, b) elongation, and c) degradation studies about groups G1 and G2.

Fig. 3

a) swelling behavior in PBS at 37 °C, b) results from porosity analysis using solvent displacement technique, c) results from WVTR measurement at room temperature, d) the strategy to measure the antibacterial activity of the fabricated patch based on the diameter gradients. Antibacterial results from disk diffusion assay for G1 and G2 against e)S. aureus (p-value = 0.0026), and f)E. coli (p-value = 0.0235). g) measurement of the cytotoxicity of G1 and G2 under MTT assay against L929 cell line (ns: non-significance).

Fig. 4

a) standard curve for VitC, b) standard curve for VitB12, and c) the release profile for both VitC and VitB12.

Fig. 5

a) images of the wound site after 0, 3, 7, and 14 days. Comparing the wound size based on the d-D variance after b) three days, and c) seven days. and d) fourteen days.

Fig. 6

Results from Hematoxylin and Eosin staining after 3, 7, and 14 days.

Fig. 7

Results from Trichrome Masson staining after 3, 7, and 14 days.