An assessment of synthesis technique for porous nano and micro fibrous wound dressings with natural oil supplements.

Abstract

For millennia, aloe vera (AV) and eucalyptus oil (EO) have been recognized as natural sources of healing and have been utilized for medicinal purposes in the realm of health. As an attempt to treat pressure sores, AV and eucalyptus oil were added as supplements to biocompatible and biodegradable poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer to synthesize nano and micro fibrous wound dressings by the electrospinning process. Additive solubility in polymeric matrix is the key parameter to achieve the synthesis of homogeneous fibers with controlled release of therapeutic oils, cure and humidity; therefore, lecithin as herbal (soybean) based emulsifier was used to control additive/polymer solubility. In this study, fibrous dressing in mat form with antioxidant activity was successfully obtained with the addition of natural AV and EO in PEO polymer solutions through electrospinning technique. Subsequently, the synthesized fibers were examined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), moisture absorption and UV-Vis spectroscopy. SEM imaging demonstrated the formation of randomly-oriented and beadless fibers with size of 0.48 ± 0.23 µm out of PEO/AV/EO/Lecithin blend and also with the addition of lecithin, fiber thicknesses were observed to be increasing. Moisture absorption analysis revealed that the weight of fibrous mat was affected by the humidity of the ambient environment. Relative humidity for 7 days ranged between 32% and 37% and it was observed that lecithin content increased the moisture retention rate by 50%. Uv-Vis results suggested that a more regular performance has been achieved with lecithin being involved in terms of timely manner changes; therefore, the contrast of samples between hours and days became more distinctive. PEO/AV/EO/Lecithin nanofiber also indicated antibacterial ability against Escherichia coli with approximately 18.5 mm diameter of inhibition. This research proves that the potential for developing biocompatible wound dressings with long-lasting moisture to the wound is possible through the use of these natural healing agents made homogeneously distributed through structure by the use of emulsifier.