Ardil Protein Based Electro spun Mat for Medical Applications Investigation

Abstract

The main objective is to produce an electro spun mat from ardil fibers in combination with polyvinyl alcohol which can be used for medical applications. Ardil fibers are the fibers extracted from the protein obtained from the defatted oil cake of groundnut. The inherent anti-microbial activity of ground nut allows the use of ardil fibers for medical applications. Since ardil fibbers are not capable of forming fibers of its own by electro spinning, they are used in blend with polyvinyl alcohol. Polyvinyl alcohol is chosen mainly because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. The electro spun mat produced from ardil and polyvinyl alcohol was checked for anti-microbial activity so that it can be used for medical applications and X-ray diffraction was seen to check the presence of proteins which was absolute. Other test such as moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) were also conducted to check whether the produced electro spun mat can be used for the required end use. MVTR is checked to check the breathability of the mat and control of moisture. The MVTR is between the acceptance levels which can be used for medical applications. TGA is to check absorption and adsorption. From the results obtained from different results, it is obvious that the produced mat can be used for medical applications.