Spirulina extract-impregnated alginate-PCL nanofiber wound dressing for skin regeneration

• DOI: 10.1007/s12257-017-0329-3
• Publication Date: 2018-01-11T03:08:20Z
• Authors: Jung Il Choi; Min Sik Kim; Goo Yong Chung; Hwa Sung Shin
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

In recent years, nanofibers have been developed and widely used in many products, such as cosmetics and medical supplies. They can be fabricated from various synthetic or natural polymers and attached to bioactive compounds. In previous research, polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers containing Spirulina extract were demonstrated to be effective on dermal wound healing in a rat model. In this study, we fabricated Spirulina extract-alginate PCL nanofibers using alginate, which has hydrophilic structures capable of holding large amounts of water, to support the backbone of the nanofibers. The morphological characteristics, hydrophilicity, water absorbance, skin adhesiveness, toxicity to human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT), and Spirulina extract emission over time were assessed. Alginate improved the efficacy of Spirulina PCL nanofibers in moisture maintenance and adhesion ability, which highly affected recovery in the rat skin wound model. In conclusion, Spirulina extract-alginate PCL nanofibers could be considered a promising candidate for wound care.