Nano-fibrous scaffold with curcumin for anti-scar wound healing

Open deep cuts and wounds often take a long time to heal and may cause infection and scar formation. A simple biomimetic electrospun nano-fibrous antimicrobial dressing material loaded with dual anti-oxidants has been developed to address this problem. A composite nano-fibrous material (PVP-Ce-Cur NF) comprising polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), cerium nitrate hexahydrate (Ce(NO₃)₃·6H₂O) and curcumin was developed using the electrospinning technique. The surface characteristics of nanofibers were examined using standard analytical techniques. The antimicrobial activity was tested against Escherichia coli (gram -ve) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram +ve) bacterial species. The MTT assay using 3T6-Swiss albino fibroblast indicated that the nano-fibrous dressing material was hemocompatible and devoid of cytotoxicity. Direct application of the PVP-Ce-Cur NF dressing material on full-thickness circular excision wound in model wistar rats displayed complete healing and re-epithelialisation without any scar within 20 days. A well-regulated level of hydroxyproline, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in granulation tissues indicated PVP-Ce-Cur NF as a potential wound dressing material with the anti-scar property.