Bioactive PVA nanofiber mat loaded with artichoke bracts extract as a promising wound dressing biomaterial

The chronic wounds and burn wounds are considered as one of the most important medical conditions that must be properly managed due to the psychological and physical stress that cause for patients, as well as creating a huge financial burden on patients and global health care systems. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in developing nanofiber mats loaded with different types of plant extracts to meet the urgent need for advanced wound dressings. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber mats loaded with Cynara scolymus L. extract (CSE) were developed in three concentrations (10 wt%, 20 wt% and 40 wt%) by electrospinning. The morphology and chemical properties of the resulting nanofibers were identified using SEM and FTIR analysis. The results demonstrated the presence of evenly distributed, and bead -free nanofibers and the successful loading of the extract into the PVA fibers. The results proved the antimicrobial activity of PVA/CSE nanofiber mats against the most important microbial species that attributed to wound infections. Additionally, the hydrophilicity and the antioxidant activity of these nanofibers were determined by contact angle test and DPPH assay, respectively. The results demonstrated a hydrophilic nature and a high antioxidant activity for the nanofiber mats. Mechanical testing showed that increasing the percentage of CSE in nanofiber mats resulted in an improvement in tensile strength. The MTT test was performed to detect the toxicity of PVA/CSE nanofiber mats on L929 fibroblast cells and no cytotoxicity was found. Also, LC-MS/MS evaluation of CSE identified the significant amounts of phytochemicals which could enhance wound healing. All these findings enhance the opportunity of using these nanofibers as a promising bioactive wound dressing material.