Fabrication and biological properties of electrospun chitosan/polyethylene oxide nanofibrous scaffolds loaded with the Arctium lappa L. extract.

Chitosan (CS)/polyethylene oxide (PEO)/Arctium lappa L. (A. lappa) scaffolds can be extensively used as wound dressings. Therefore, in this study, electrospinning and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde vapor fabricated CS/PEO scaffolds with a weight ratio (2:1) containing different extract concentrations (15, 25, and 35 wt%). The scaffolds were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), tensile strength test, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility evaluations. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to confirm the results of the experiments. From FE-SEM images, it was observed that smooth, uniform, and defect-free scaffolds were obtained at 20 kV applied voltage, 15 cm needle-to-collector distance, and 0.5 ml/h flow with an average diameter ranging from 221 to 345 nm. The ultimate tensile strength and Young's modulus of the CS/PEO/35 wt% extract cross-linked scaffold improved by 225 and 381 %, respectively, compared to CS/PEO nanofiber. Adding the 35 wt% extract into the polymer demonstrated that the gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) had a better zone of inhibition test than the gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Finally, the biocompatibility assay confirmed the proliferative potential of 35 wt% extract within 48 h.