Electrospun PVA/PEO/β-CD nanofiber composites incorporating chemically and biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial activity

Abstract

The development of functional nanomaterials with enhanced antimicrobial efficacy is critical for addressing the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, electrospun antimicrobial nanofiber composites were developed by integrating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into a polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene oxide/β-cyclodextrin (PVA/PEO/β-CD) matrix. A comparative evaluation was conducted between chemically synthesized AgNPs (chem-AgNPs) and biologically synthesized AgNPs (bio-AgNPs). Characterization of chem-AgNPs confirmed a spherical morphology with an average diameter of 35.06 ± 8.41 nm and a crystalline structure. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chem-AgNPs was 2000 µg/mL for most tested pathogens, while Vibrio cholerae exhibited higher susceptibility at 1000 µg/mL. Furthermore, both AgNP types were successfully embedded into the polymer matrix, yielding uniform, bead-free nanofibrous mats with preserved structural integrity. Importantly, disc diffusion assays revealed that AgNPs-loaded nanofibers exhibited significantly enhanced antimicrobial efficiency compared with the corresponding free nanoparticles, confirming the effectiveness of the nanofibrous delivery platform. Notably, bio-AgNPs-functionalized nanofibers consistently produced larger inhibition zones than chem-AgNPs-based nanofibers against all tested clinically relevant pathogens. This enhanced performance is attributed to the distinct surface chemistry and bioactive capping agents associated with bio-AgNPs, which promote improved nanoparticle dispersion and sustained antimicrobial action within the nanofibrous matrix. Overall, these findings demonstrate that electrospun PVA/PEO/β-CD nanofibers serve as an efficient antimicrobial delivery system, and highlight the clear advantage of bio-AgNPs-functionalized nanofibers for advanced antimicrobial and biomedical applications, particularly against multidrug-resistant pathogens.