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This study addresses the processing of nonwoven fibrous materials obtained by centrifugal spinning method, namely Forcespinning; a high yield and low production cost technique little explored in this field. Poly(D, L‐lactic acid) (PDLLA) and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) were used as matrices and reinforced with zinc oxide nanoparticles (n‐ZnO). The morphology, mechanical, and thermal performance of the developed composites were analyzed as well as the antibacterial effect of n‐ZnO. Fibrous materials with n‐ZnO concentrations of 1, 3, and 5 wt. % for PDLLA and 1 and 3 wt. % for PHB were evaluated. The results showed that the incorporation of n‐ZnO produces an increase in the viscosity of the precursor solutions for both polymeric systems, which caused an increase in the average fiber diameter, though the morphology was not affected, obtaining mostly long, continuous, and homogenous fibers. In addition, a decrease in thermal stability was observed to a greater extent in PDLLA systems. Regarding the mechanical performance, optimal properties were obtained at a concentration of 3 and 1 wt. % of n‐ZnO for PDLLA and PHB, respectively. Antibacterial studies showed that PHB with 1 and 3 wt. % of n‐ZnO effectively combat strains of E. coli and S. aureus, presenting 100% of strain growth inhibition. In the case of PDLLA, a higher n‐ZnO concentration (5 wt. %) was required to reach a strain growth inhibition above 97%. Finally, cell viability tests demonstrated that the designed fibrous mats support cell proliferation, indicating their potential for use as scaffolds in bone tissue regeneration.

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In this study, nanofibers composed of Opuntia cochenillifera nopal mucilage (N) extract combined with chitosan (CH) and pullulan (PL) (N/CH/PL) were produced via Forcespinning®. The developed nonwoven composite membranes are composed of long, continuous and homogeneous fibers with average fiber diameter varying between 251 ± 77 nm and 406 ± 127 nm depending on the concentration of N. After crosslinking, the developed membranes were highly stable in water. The water absorption capacity of the N/CH/PL composite nanofiber membranes was shown to be 65% higher compared to CH/PL nanofiber membranes. Nopal dip-coated membranes show inhibition of Gram-negative Escherichia coli, indicating antibacterial properties. These findings suggest that the incorporation of naturally derived nopal extract into nanofiber systems could provide a natural alternative for dressings used in wound healing applications.

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