Nanofibrous membranes loaded with bupivacaine and carica papaya extract for pain management and wound healing in postoperative wounds

Abstract

Abstract The pursuit of effective pain management and wound healing strategies within modern medicine remains a challenge. Postoperative skin injuries arising from surgeries and traumatic incidents often bring substantial discomfort, necessitating interventions that combine optimal pain relief with accelerated wound recovery. In this research, bupivacaine and carica papaya extract were loaded into polycaprolactone/polyvinyl alcohol membranes in order to develop a pain-relieving wound dressing material for pain management and skin wound healing after surgeries. The in vitro experiments were used to characterize the pain-relieving scaffold. An in vivo study of the excisional wound was carried out in a rat model. Histopathological examinations, wound closure studies, and pain-related behavioral factors were utilized to assess the in vivo pain management and wound healing efficacy of the dressings. Results showed that our developed constructs were not toxic and modulated inflammatory responses. In vivo study showed that this system could successfully close wounds and decrease the sensitivity of animals to painful stimuli. These wound dressings may potentially be considered dual function wound dressings to treat skin injuries.