Silver-loaded poly(vinyl alcohol)/polycaprolactone polymer scaffold as a biocompatible antibacterial system

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Infectious Disease Research

Background:

• Chronic nonhealing wounds are susceptible to infection, necessitating advanced wound dressings.
• Effective dressings must prevent bacterial growth, offer microbial barriers, and promote tissue repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) incorporated into an electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix for wound healing applications.
• To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy and cytotoxicity of the developed Ag NP-PCL composite material.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized 8±3 nm Ag NPs with maleic acid and incorporated them into PCL electrospun fibers (1.6 and 3.4 µm).
• Anchored Ag NPs using electrosprayed poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) spheres, reducing sphere size.
• Investigated the effect of electrospraying time on antibacterial properties.

Main Results:

• The Ag NP-PCL material demonstrated 100% inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus within 6 hours.
• The composite material exhibited non-cytotoxic effects on the Vero cell line.
• Increased electrospraying time of Ag NP-PVA spheres enhanced antibacterial activity.

Conclusions:

• The developed silver-based material shows significant potential as an effective antibacterial wound dressing.
• The combination of Ag NPs with electrospun PCL and PVA offers a promising strategy for medical applications requiring antimicrobial properties.