Development and characterization of a PVA/ZnO/curcumin/andrographis paniculata extract nanofibrous membrane for wound healing applications

Nanofibrous membranes are emerging as promising wound dressing materials due to their extracellular matrix-mimicking architecture. However, pristine nanofibers are insufficient to address the demanding requirements of chronic wounds. Thus, the development of multi-component nanofibrous wound dressings is frequently investigated. This paper proposes one such novel multicomponent wound dressing integrating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Zinc oxide (ZnO), curcumin, and Andrographis paniculata within an electrospun nanofibrous membrane. The nanofibrous membrane is fabricated by electrospinning a polymeric blend. The membrane is characterized for physicochemical properties, functional groups, and bioactivity. SEM characterization results showed a stable fibrous morphology of the membrane with an average fiber diameter of 177.5 ± 48.4 nm. XRD analysis confirmed the characteristic reflections of crystalline ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite structure within the PVA matrix. FTIR results supported the integration of the constituents in the PVA matrix. Further, biological assay results demonstrated visibly noticeable antibacterial efficacy of the membrane when tested against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa . The membrane demonstrated 59.74 ± 3.03% antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay and acceptable cell viability in the MTT assay. Further, the nanofibrous membrane exhibited 95% scratch closure in 24 h. These results demonstrated the fabrication of a stable nanofibrous wound healing membrane with acceptable biocompatibility, antioxidant activity, and wound healing potential. However, there are still opportunities for tuning morphology and bioactivity. Thus, the proposed wound dressing membrane could emerge as a reliable wound dressing for clinical use as well as hold research significance.