Fabrication and characterization of polyvinyl-alcohol-combined bromelain nanofiber and assessment of its antimicrobial potencies

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme obtained from pineapple having many great applications in the field of the pharmaceutical industry. It can be extracted from both the parts like the stem and the pineapple fruit. The anti-inflammatory property and antimicrobial activity make it a suitable material to convert as a nanofiber. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a synthetic biopolymer commonly used in the preparation of wound dressing due to its elasticity in the swollen state, biocompatibility, water solubility, and non-toxic nature. This present study aims to prepare transdermal patches with the mixture of PVA and bromelain by the method of electrospinning, and their morphological structure and properties were examined and analyzed with both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Antimicrobial activity and moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) were studied for the effective use of nanofiber. The SEM images depicted the average pore size of the synthesized nanofiber as 226 nm. Functional groups of both PVA and bromelain were visible in the FTIR peaks confirming the nanofiber binding. A significant zone of inhibition was obtained in the antimicrobial assay that was comparable with Gentamicin. A vapor transmission rate of 2000 g/m2 per day was observed for the synthesized nanofiber enabling it to be a promising material to treat wounds and burns. To conclude, the synthesized transdermal patch can be used as ordinary dressing materials like gauze and tulle, where the dressing material provides a suitable environment for the healing of burns. © 2023, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.