Electrospun Nanofiber Composite Materials Containing Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-Based Nanoplatforms as Enhanced Antibacterial Wound Dressings

Bacterial infections hinder wound healing, and antibiotics play a critical role in the treatment of infected wounds. However, the effective and controlled release of antimicrobial agents at the wound remains a significant challenge. In this study, doxycycline hydrochloride (DOXH) was first loaded onto zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to form DOXH@ZIF-8 nanoparticles (DZ NPs). Subsequently, electrospinning technology was employed to incorporate DZ NPs into polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers to form DOXH@ZIF-8/PCL nanofiber composite membranes (DZP NCMs). These NCMs exhibited pH-responsive behavior, enabling the controlled and sustained release of DOXH. Furthermore, the incorporation of DZ NPs significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the nanofiber membranes and improved their wettability, and Young’s modulus and tensile strength of DZP NCMs were [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MPa and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MPa, respectively. Additionally, the NCMs demonstrated good breathability, porosity and water absorption capacity. In vitro experiments showed that the NCMs achieved antibacterial rates of 100% against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and [Formula: see text] against Escherichia coli (E. coli), respectively, while also displaying good biocompatibility with L929 cells, thereby proposing that DZP NCMs have great potential for the prevention and treatment of bacterial-infected wounds.