Modification of hydrophobic electrospun polyurethane fibers for efficient wound healing activity

Abstract

Abstract The intricate process of wound healing demands an atmosphere that is conducive to quick healing. In this situation, creating biocompatible and antibacterial fibers may be a good choice. In this study, the unmodified polyurethane and polyurethane modified with cellulose acetate and rosemary oil were electrospun into fibers. These fibers were subsequently adsorbed using silver nanoparticles. The FE-SEM was used to characterize the fibers, revealing their defect-free morphology and the presence of nanoparticles on them. Additionally, the XRD findings demonstrated that silver nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into the spun fiber mats. The contact angle measurements indicated a decreasing behavior starting from 100.4±1° to 28.4±3° in the case of unmodified polyurethane and modified fibers. The antibacterial assay revealed that although unmodified fiber mats have negligible antibacterial action, the modified fibers exhibited considerable antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. In-vitro studies revealed that Human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK 293T) cell proliferation was enhanced on the surface of modified fibers compared to unmodified fibers. In conclusion, our research presents unique multifunctional fibrous scaffolds that are appropriate and optimal for wound healing applications.