Fabrication and characterization of starch-TPU based nanofibers for wound healing applications

Wound dressings have undergone continuous and substantial evolution over time. Modern bandage materials constitute of electrospun biopolymers that enable rapid and effective wound healing due to the high surface area to volume ratio of the electrospun nanofibers and their porous structure. In the present study, nanofibrous bandages, containing a blend of starch-thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), were developed by using the electrospinning technique. The electrospun nanofibrous mats were subsequently crosslinked with varying concentrations of glutaraldehyde in order to increase their water stability and mechanical properties. The nanofibrous bandages were characterized for their structural properties using SEM, FTIR, TGA, DSC, as well as for their water retention ability, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), tensile strength and blood clotting efficiency. Cytotoxicity of the bandages was evaluated using human dermal fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the extent of wound healing enabled by the nanofibrous bandage was ascertained using Sprague-Dawley rats. The results revealed that the starch-TPU nanofibrous bandages facilitated enhanced wound-healing, as compared to the traditional dressing material, such as the cotton gauze.