Curcumin‐Loaded Co‐Axial Electrospun Chitosan/Polyvinyl Alcohol/Calcium Chloride Nanofibrous Membranes for Wound Healing Enhancement

Abstract

Nanofibrous membranes were developed by combining chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and calcium chloride (CC) to incorporate curcumin (CCM) through a co‐axial electro‐spinning method to improve CCM bioavailability. The optimal parameters were PVA/CS ratio of 7:3 v/v, PVA/CCM ratio of 8:2 v/v, CC amount of 0.5 g, fiber collection distance of 15 cm, voltage value of 18 kV, and injection flow of 0.1 mL/h (both core and shell layer). The prepared PVA/CCM@CS/PVA/CC nanofiber showed smooth surfaces and uniform bead‐free morphology with core‐shell structure. The average fiber diameter was 301.55 ± 76.77 nm with a narrow distribution. Using the Korsmeyer‐Peppas kinetic release model, the nanofiber membrane effectively released ∼85% CCM at pH 7.4 over 96 h via Fickian diffusion transport mechanism. In vitro antibacterial tests demonstrated that the membrane was efficient against both Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram‐negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. When compared to free CCM, the membrane improved cell survival due to its nontoxic and cytobiocompatible features. In vivo tests found that the membrane significantly improved healing in incised‐wound rats, reducing inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, and collagen deposition. These findings indicate that the novel PVA/CCM@CS/PVA/CC nanofiber membrane, which has numerous biological functions, could be a promising candidate for wound dressing therapeutic applications.