Nano-fibrous scaffold with curcumin for anti-scar wound healing

Open deep cuts and wounds often take a long time to heal and may cause infection and scar formation. A simple biomimetic electrospun nano-fibrous antimicrobial dressing material loaded with dual anti-oxidants has been developed to address this problem. A composite nano-fibrous material (PVP-Ce-Cur NF) comprising polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), cerium nitrate hexahydrate (Ce(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O) and curcumin was developed using the electrospinning technique. The surface characteristics of nanofibers were examined using standard analytical techniques. The antimicrobial activity was tested against Escherichia coli (gram -ve) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram + ve) bacterial species. The MTT assay using 3T6-Swiss albino fibroblast indicated that the nano-fibrous dressing material was hemocompatible and devoid of cytotoxicity. Direct application of the PVP-Ce-Cur NF dressing material on full-thickness circular excision wound in model wistar rats displayed complete healing and re-epithelialisation without any scar within 20 days. A well-regulated level of hydroxyproline, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in granulation tissues indicated PVP-Ce-Cur NF as a potential wound dressing material with the anti-scar property.