Sodium alginate-based nanofibers loaded with <i>Capparis Sepiaria</i> plant extract for wound healing

Abstract

Burn wounds are associated with infections, drug resistance, allergic reactions, odour, bleeding, excess exudates, and scars, requiring prolonged hospital stay. It is crucial to develop wound dressings that can effectively combat allergic reactions and drug resistance, inhibit infections, and absorb excess exudates to accelerate wound healing. To overcome the above-mentioned problems associated with burn wounds, SA/PVA/PLGA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> and SA/PVA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> nanofibers incorporated with <i>Capparis sepiaria</i> plant extract were prepared using an electrospinning technique. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the successful incorporation of the extract into the nanofibers without any interaction between the extract and the polymers. The nanofibers displayed porous morphology and a rough surface suitable for cellular adhesion and proliferation. SA/PVA/PLGA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> and SA/PVA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> nanofibers demonstrated significant antibacterial effects against wound infection-associated bacterial strains: <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Mycobaterium smegmatis</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Enterobacter cloacae</i>, <i>Proteus vulgaris</i>, and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Cytocompatibility studies using HaCaT cells revealed the non-toxicity of the nanofibers. SA/PVA/PLGA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> and SA/PVA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> nanofibers exhibited hemostatic properties, resulting from the synergistic effect of the plant extract and polymers. The <i>in vitro</i> scratch wound healing assay showed that the SA/PVA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> nanofiber wound-healing capability is more than the plant extract and a commercially available wound dressing. The wound-healing potential of SA/PVA/<i>Capparis sepiaria</i> nanofiber is attributed to the synergistic effect of the phytochemicals present in the extract, their porosity, and the ECM-mimicking structure of the nanofibers. The findings suggest that the electrospun nanofibers loaded with <i>Capparis sepiaria</i> extract are promising wound dressings that should be explored for burn wounds.