Synthesis of bio-nanofiber from pectin/polyvinyl alcohol for therapeutic application

Pectin is a natural biopolymer with excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility that is often extracted from the peels of citrus fruits and apples. Pectin isolated from Citrus limon (L.) Burm peels is the primary nanofiber material in this investigation. Pectin: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) ratio, solvent type, voltage, and flow rate were investigated to optimise the electrospinning procedure for producing pectin-based nanofibers. The peels of C. limon (L.) Burm were chemically extracted for their pectin, yielding a 20.5% yield, and subsequently electrospun with varying percentages of PVA. Sample 1, made from 10% pectin and 10% PVA, formed a mat with the best mechanical qualities out of the four samples. Despite being mixed with PVA, The Nanofiber’s Fourier transform infrared spectrum reveals that pectin retained its original chemical structure. Amorphous characteristics of the mat are shown in the X-ray diffractogram. Therapeutic pectin and PVA nanofibers could be made using PVA since they are cheap, biodegradable, and biocompatible.