Wound Repair Using <scp>PVA</scp> – <scp>CA</scp> Electrospun Dressings and Cold Plasma In Vivo

ABSTRACT Electrospun polymeric wound dressings that integrate biomimetic structure with bioactive stimulation represent an effective approach for accelerating tissue repair. This study evaluates electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers crosslinked with citric acid (PVA–CA), with or without silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), applied alone or in combination with non‐thermal plasma (NTP) for cutaneous wound healing in rats. The PVA–CA system provided a hydrophilic, porous scaffold with improved structural stability due to ester crosslinking. Thirty‐six male Wistar rats with full‐thickness dorsal skin wounds were distributed into six groups: Control, PVA–CA, PVA–CA + Ag, NTP, PVA–CA + NTP, and PVA–CA + Ag + NTP. Healing progression was evaluated macroscopically and histologically at 3, 7, and 14 days post‐injury. The PVA–CA + NTP group showed the highest healing efficacy, achieving a 96.6% wound area reduction at Day 14, versus 89.7% for the control. Histological analyses demonstrated accelerated re‐epithelialization, increased angiogenesis, and enhanced collagen deposition in this group, indicating advanced tissue remodeling. Although AgNP incorporation provided antimicrobial functionality, it did not further improve regeneration when combined with NTP. These results demonstrate that citric‐acid‐crosslinked electrospun PVA dressings synergistically potentiate the therapeutic effects of non‐thermal plasma, offering a promising platform for advanced wound healing applications.