Drug-Loaded Carbon Nanotube Incorporated in Nanofibers: A Multifunctional Nanocomposite for Smart Chronic Wound Healing

A proper dressing for chronic wounds should be able topreservemoisture while absorbing the exudates and exhibit good antibacterialproperties and reliable mechanical properties. Furthermore, drug deliverythrough a wound dressing is an added value that brings more therapeuticand regenerative functionalities. In this study, a carboxylated multiwalledcarbon nanotube-curcumin hybrid composite was embedded in apolyamide 6/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous composite (PA6/PVA/CMWCNT-Cur)for controlled drug release and potential wound healing application.PA6/PVA/CMWCNT-Cur nanofibrous composites were synthesized in twosteps. First, Cur was loaded throughout the CMWCNT, and then a cross-linkedPA6/PVA/CMWCNT-Cur blend solution was electrospun at CMWCNT-Cur concentrationsof 0.5, 0.75, and 1 wt %. The results showed that incorporating PVAand CMWCNT-Cur into the PA6 nanofiber improved its wettability, physicalproperties, and biodegradability. In addition, the optical densitytechnique demonstrated that the produced nanofibers had high antibacterialactivity, which effectively inhibited the development of Staphylococcusaureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Dueto its uniform nanofibrous structure, superior mechanical capabilities,and excellent antibacterial features, the PA6/PVA/CMWCNT-Cur hybridnanofibrous composite containing 0.75 wt % CMWCNT-Cur was chosen asthe most suitable sample. Studies on the release of Cur from the nanofibersat different pH values demonstrated a faster rate in mild acidic media.The cell viability against the L929 cell line showed that the PA6/PVA/CMWCNT-Curhybrid nanofibrous composite significantly increased the cell viabilityand proliferation. This work provides a simple and quick strategyfor producing a multifunctional nanofibrous mat for wound healingapplications.

Automated summary

A PA6/PVA/CMWCNT-Cur hybrid nanofibrous composite with good antibacterial properties, mechanical properties, and controlled drug release function was successfully prepared for wound healing applications. The sample with a 0.75 wt % CMWCNT-Cur content was chosen as the most suitable sample due to its uniform nanofiber structure and excellent antibacterial features.