Membranes composed of poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) and Ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Miller) extract for dressing applications

Juliana Farinassi Mendes; Marina de Lima Fontes; Talita Villa Barbosa; Rafaella T Paschoalin; Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131365

Membranes composed of poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) and Ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Miller) extract for dressing applications

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Apr 5:131365. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131365. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Juliana Farinassi Mendes¹, Marina de Lima Fontes², Talita Villa Barbosa³, Rafaella T Paschoalin⁴, Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Laboratory of Nanotechnology for Agriculture (LNNA), Embrapa Instrumentation, São Carlos 13560-970, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: julianafarinassi@gmail.com.
² Graduate of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Paulista State University, Araraquara 14800-901, São Paulo, Brazil.
³ São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo, 13560-970 São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ National Laboratory of Nanotechnology for Agriculture (LNNA), Embrapa Instrumentation, São Carlos 13560-970, São Paulo, Brazil.

PMID: 38583829
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131365

Abstract

Wounds are considered one of the most critical medical conditions that must be managed appropriately due to the psychological and physical stress they cause for patients, as well as creating a substantial financial burden on patients and global healthcare systems. Nowadays, there is a growing interest in developing nanofiber mats loaded with varying plant extracts to meet the urgent need for advanced wound ressings. This study investigated the development and characterization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/ poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) nanofiber membranes incorporated with Ora-pro-nóbis (OPN; 12.5, 25, and 50 % w/w) by the solution-blow-spinning (SBS) technique. The PLA/PEG and PLA/PEG/OPN nanofiber membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal properties (TGA and DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle measurements and water vapor permeability (WVTR). In addition, the mats were analyzed for swelling properties in vitro cell viability, and fibroblast adhesion (L-929) tests. SEM images showed that smooth and continuous PLA/PEG and PLA/PEG/OPN nanofibers were obtained with a diameter distribution ranging from 171 to 1533 nm. The PLA/PEG and PLA/PEG/OPN nanofiber membranes showed moderate hydrophobicity (~109-120°), possibly preventing secondary injuries during dressing removal. Besides that, PLA/PEG/OPN nanofibers exhibited adequate WVTR, meeting wound healing requirements. Notably, the presence of OPN gave the PLA/PEG membranes better mechanical properties, increasing their tensile strength (TS) from 3.4 MPa (PLA/PEG) to 5.3 MPa (PLA/PEG/OPN), as well as excellent antioxidant properties (Antioxidant activity with approximately 45 % oxidation inhibition). Therefore, the nanofiber mats based on PLA/PEG, especially those incorporated with OPN, are promising options for use as antioxidant dressings to aid skin healing.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Cell viability; Nanofibers; Solution-blow-spinning (SBS); Swelling tests; Tissue engineering.