Donkey Gelatin and Keratin Nanofibers Loaded with Antioxidant Agents for Wound Healing Dressings

Abstract

Acute and chronic wounds present a significant healthcare challenge, requiring innovative solutions for effective treatment. The exploitation of natural by-products with advanced cell regeneration potential and plant-based materials, which possess bioactive properties, is an innovative topic in wound management. This study investigates the potential of donkey gelatin and keratin for blending with natural bioactive extracts such as sumac, curcumin, and oak acorn to fabricate antioxidant and antimicrobial nanofibers with accelerated wound healing processes. The fabricated nanofibers possess good in vitro biocompatibility, except for the sumac-based donkey nanofibers, where cell viability significantly dropped to 56.25% (p < 0.05 compared to non-treated cells). The nanofiber dimensions showed structural similarities to human extracellular matrix components, providing an ideal microenvironment for tissue regeneration. The donkey nanofiber-based sumac and curcumin extracts presented a higher dissolution in the first 10 min (74% and 72%). Curcumin extract showed similar antimicrobial and antifungal performances to rivanol, while acorn and sumac extracts demonstrated similar values to each other. In vitro tests performed on murine fibroblast cells demonstrated high migration rates of 89% and 85% after 24 h in the case of acorn and curcumin nanofibers, respectively, underscoring the potential of these nanofibers as versatile platforms for advanced wound care applications.