Electrospining: Electrospun wound dressings with antimicrobial functionality: a review of plant extract and essential oil incorporation

Background

The skin is the outermost covering of the human body and the largest organ, protecting muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs from external threats. However, the structure and function of these components can be affected by several insults, resulting in injuries. Wounds can have accidental or intentional etiologies, such as cuts, burns and surgical incisions, or they can be caused by diseases, such as diabetes. Therefore, in certain situations, when skin integrity is lost, the structural and functional characteristics of the original skin must be quickly reestablished to ensure hemostasis and minimize the risk of microbial contamination.

The main point of this paper

Advantages of electrospinning technology:

Electrospinning technology can produce ultrafine fibers at the nano to micron level. These fibers have high specific surface area and high porosity, which are beneficial to cell respiration and inhibit bacterial infection.

Fiber materials prepared by electrospinning have good mechanical strength and biocompatibility, can provide necessary support and guidance for cells, and promote cell proliferation and new tissue growth.

Types of wound dressings:

Electrospinning technology can prepare various types of wound dressings, including films, foams, hydrogels and hydrocolloids, among which nanofiber membranes have attracted much attention due to their unique properties.

Material selection:

Electrospinning matrix polymers can be divided into synthetic polymers and natural polymers. Synthetic polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) have good biodegradability, while natural polymers such as chitosan (CS) have the function of promoting wound healing and antibacterial.

Antibacterial and healing promotion:

Electrospinning technology can be combined with various antibacterial agents, such as nanosilver particles (AgNPs), and bioactive compounds extracted from medicinal plants and essential oils to enhance the antibacterial properties of dressings and promote wound healing.

Plant extracts and nanoparticles:

Nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized from plant extracts have shown great potential in the treatment of bacterial, fungal and skin diseases, and have the advantages of biocompatibility, non-toxicity and cost-effectiveness.

Application of electrospun nanofibers in wound dressings: progress, challenges and prospects

Advantages of Nanofiber-Based Wound Dressings:

Nanofiber-based materials produced by electrospinning are considered ideal wound dressings due to their inherent properties (such as high porosity, good mechanical properties, and excellent biocompatibility), which help moisturize wounds, promote cell respiration, and regenerate damaged skin.

Loading of Bioactive Compounds:

Bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties are incorporated into wound dressings to promote healing and prevent bacterial infections. These compounds can be integrated into nanofibers by pre-electrospinning (blending, encapsulation, coaxial and emulsification electrospinning), post-electrospinning (physical adsorption, chemical fixation, and layer-by-layer assembly), and nanoparticle loading.

Application of Natural Products:

Natural products, such as medicinal plant extracts and essential oils (EOs), have received special attention due to their non-toxicity, small side effects, desirable bioactive properties, and positive effects on the healing process.

Preparation Methods of Nanofiber Dressings:

Electrospinning technology enables the preparation of nanofibers with different structural features that are essential for promoting wound healing, such as high surface area to volume ratio, greater porosity, and permeability to oxygen.

Integration of functional additives:

Functional additives such as antimicrobial agents, growth factors, and natural extracts can be incorporated into electrospun nanofibers to accelerate wound healing and tissue repair.

Summarize

Despite the efforts made, the susceptibility of wounds to bacterial growth and the subsequent risk of infection remain a concern, especially in populations with weakened immune systems. To date, a great deal of research has been conducted to develop different types of dressings that can act as a physical barrier to protect wounds from microbial invasion while promoting the healing process. Among the existing wound dressings, nanofibers produced by electrospinning are one of the most effective materials that can replicate the three-dimensional structure of the skin ECM and further promote healing, a simple, economical, versatile and easily scaled-up technology. Therefore, electrospun nanofibers represent a biocompatible and biodegradable option with unique properties that meet the requirements of an ideal wound dressing. In addition, the feasibility of incorporating several bioactive compounds, in particular: eco-friendly, cheap, non-toxic, and highly effective alternatives against resistant bacteria, such as natural agents (e.g., plant extracts and EOs), into electrospun nanofibers using different strategies (e.g., co-blending, coaxial, emulsion, LbL, and multi-jet electrospinning), highlights their potential in preventing bacterial colonization at wound sites and promoting the reconstruction of the structural and functional integrity of damaged skin.