Electrospun natural nanofibres with bioactive plant extracts for therapeutic applications

The purpose of this work was to develop antibacterial biodegradable nanofibers with CS and PEO biopolymers reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) by electrospinning. Firstly, CS/PEO nanofibers production was optimized and the effect of different CNC concentrations was investigated. Electrospun nanofibers were characterized by FESEM, FTIR, TGA, XRD and DMA techniques. Finally, a plant-based extract (Acacia tortilis) was introduced onto the nanofibers and their antibacterial activity was evaluated against Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria. Overall, this work reports the development of antibacterial natural-based nanofibers membranes for biomedical applications, specially wound dressings and burn healing systems.
The authors are thankful to TSSiPRO project, operation code NORTE 01-0145-FEDER000015, supported by the “Programa Operacional Regional do Norte” number NORTE-45- 2015-02, project UID/CTM/00264/2019 of 2C2T – Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia Têxtil, funded by National Founds through FCT/MCTES.