The endeavor was to adopt a facile bi-layered approach to fabricate a novel PVA-chitosan-collagen-licorice nanofibrous mat (PCCLNM) with maintaining the spinning parameters and conditions to assess the synergistic antibacterial action of two biopolymers and having properties for repairing tissues. Bonding behavior, morphological orientation, antibacterial activity, and moisture management features of the electrospun nanofibrous mat were investigated using various characterization techniques. The FTIR analysis of the manufactured nanofibrous mat revealed characteristic peaks of licorice, chitosan, collagen, and PVA polymer, confirming the presence of all polymers in the sample. Additionally, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image attributes the development of nanofibers with an average diameter for top and bottom sides were 219 and 188 nm respectively. Furthermore, moisture management tests (MMT) confirm PCCLNM's slow absorption and drying capabilities. Apart from that, a disk diffusion method was used to investigate antibacterial activity against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which revealed a strong presence of antibacterial activity with a 20 mm zone of inhibition due to the chemical constituents of licorice and chitosan compound. The developed bio-nanocomposite could have a potential application as wound healing material.
Keywords: Electrospun nanofibrous mat; PVA; bacterial resistance; chitosan; collagen; licorice.