Exploration of Antibiofilm and In Vivo Wound Healing Activity of p-Cymene-Loaded Gellan/PVA Nanofibers

Wound dressings with outstanding biocompatibility, antimicrobial, and tissue regeneration activities are essential to manage emerging recalcitrant antifungal infections to speed up healing. In this study, we have engineered p-cymene-loaded gellan/ PVA nanofibers using electrospinning. Morphological and physicochemical properties of the nanofibers were characterized using a multitude of techniques to validate the successful integration of p-cymene (p-cym). The fabricated nanomaterials exhibited strong antibiofilm activity against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata compared to pure p-cymene. In vitro biocompatibility assay demonstrated that nanofibers did not possess any cytotoxicity to the NIH3T3 cell lines. In vivo, full-thickness excision wound healing study showed that the nanofibers were able to heal skin lesions faster than the conventional clotrimazole gel in 24 days without forming any scar. These findings unraveled p-cymene-loaded gellan gum (GA)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers as an effective biomaterial for cutaneous tissue regeneration.

Automated summary

In this study, p-cymene-loaded gellan gum (GA)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers with strong antibiofilm activity against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata were prepared using electrospinning. In vitro biocompatibility assay showed no cytotoxicity to NIH3T3 cell lines. In vivo, the nanofibers promoted faster healing of skin lesions compared to traditional clotrimazole gel without scarring. These findings suggest that p-cymene-loaded GA/PVA nanofibers are an effective biomaterial for cutaneous tissue regeneration.