Electrospun chitosan/sericin composite nanofibers with antibacterial property as potential wound dressings

Chitosan and sericin are natural and low cost biomaterials. Both biomaterials displayed good compatibility to human tissues and antibacterial properties for biomedical application. In this study, we have successfully fabricated chitosan/sericin composite nanofibers by electrospinning. The obtained composite nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies. The composite nanofibers had good morphology with diameter between 240 nm and 380 nm. In vitro methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MIT) assays demonstrated that the chitosan/sericin composite nanofibers were biocompatible and could promote the cell proliferation. Furthermore, the composite nanofibers showed good bactericidal activity against both of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Thus, the chitosan/sericin composite nanofibers are promising for wound dressing applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.