Nano-components and nano-systems for health care and medical applications are the focus of many research projects worldwide. Nanofibrous membranes are highly soft materials with high surface-to-volume ratios, and therefore can serve as excellent carriers for therapeutic agents that are antibacterial or accelerate wound healing. PCL/PVP Nanofiber mat containing chloroform: methanol (4:1) crude bark extract of Tecomella undulata, a medicinal plant widely known for its traditional medical applications including its wound healing ability, were prepared and evaluated for their antibacterial properties. With good drug stability and high drug-loading efficacy, the incorporation of herbal extract in the polymer media did not appear to influence the morphology of the resulting fibers, as both the drug-free and the drugloaded nanofibers remained unaltered, microscopically. Activity was tested against standard strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 2297, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 933, Escherichia coli (IP-406006). Extract loaded PCL/PVP nanofiber mat were able to inhibit the growth of the bacterial strains which indicate that it could act not only as a drug delivery system but also in the treatment of wound healing or dermal bacterial infections thereby proving a potential application for use as a wound dressing.
Advances in electrospun nanofibres with bioactive materials have enhanced the scope of fabricating biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering. The present research focuses on fabrication of polycaprolactone/aloe vera/silk fibroin nanofibrous scaffolds by electrospinning followed by hydroxyapatite deposition by calcium-phosphate dipping method for bone tissue engineering. Morphology, composition, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of polycaprolactone/aloe vera/silk fibroin-hydroxyapatite nanofibrous scaffolds along with controls polycaprolactone and polycaprolactone/aloe vera/silk fibroin nanofibrous scaffolds were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle and tensile tests, respectively. Adipose-derived stem cells cultured on polycaprolactone/aloe vera/silk fibroin-hydroxyapatite nanofibrous scaffolds displayed highest cell proliferation, increased osteogenic markers expression (alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin), osteogenic differentiation and increased mineralization in comparison with polycaprolactone control. The obtained results indicate that polycaprolactone/aloe vera/silk fibroin-hydroxyapatite nanofibrous scaffolds have appropriate physico-chemical and biological properties to be used as biomimetic scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.
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