Pectin-Reinforced Electrospun Nanofibers: Fabricationand Characterization of Highly Biocompatible Matsfor Wound Healing Applications

Objective: Utilizing naturally occurring subs tances for improvingthe biological properties of wound dressings is amongthe mos t promising s trategies in biomedicine.Materials and Methods: We here report the successful synthesisa series of electrospun nanofibers reinforced with naturalpolysaccharide pectin. The composition of the scaffolds wasdesigned as gelatin (GEL))-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/ poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA))-Pectin.Results: The nanofibrous composites exhibited a smooth surfacewith fibers’ diameter ranging between ۳۱۵ and ۴۳۱ nm.The incorporation of pectin led to improvements in the nanofibrousscaffolds regarding hydrophilicity (۱۹° after ۵ sec), degradability(۴۱.۱۹۷ ± ۴.۲%), and water uptake (۲۴۱.۶۶۶ ± ۵۸.۹۲%). Moreover, in the term of mechanical properties, the highes t Young’s modulus (۲.۸ ± ۰.۶ MPa) related to c-PCL/Gel-PVA/Pec electrospun nanofibers compare to other nanofiber mats.From biological perspective, adding pectin to the polymericsubs trates resulted in enhanced antibacterial activity of the matsagains t both Gram-positive and Gram-negative species. On thispoint, the c-PVA/Pec mats could inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosaup to ۵۷.۱% in comparison to the control group. Wile, theinhibitory effect of c-PCL/GEL-PVA/Pec mats on S. aureus andP. aeruginosa were ۸.۴% and ۲۲.۶%, respectively. Furthermore,the PCL/GEL-PVA/Pec electrospun mats exhibited excellentblood and cell compatibility as well as could s timulate cell migrationin vitro.Conclusion: In conclusion, pectin can be easily mixed to biopolymersfor preparation of three-dimensional (۳D) electrospunnanofibers. Regarding their mechanical and biologicalperformance, electrospun composites can be potentially used aswound dressings; especially in cases where infectious woundmanagement is of great importance.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antibacterial Activity ، Electrospun Nanofibers ، NaturalPolymers ، Pectin ، Wound Healing