Evaluation of a Polycaprolactone/Gelatin/Lucilia sericata Larva Extract Nanofibrous Mat for Burn-Wound Healing

Abstract

Electrospun nanofibrous mats have shown great potential for dressing skin wounds. In this study, a nanofibrous mat composed of polycaprolactone (PCL), Gelatin (GLT), and Lucilia sericata larva extract (LSLE) was fabricated by the electrospinning method. The morphology of the fabricated nanofibrous mat and its morphological properties (fibers distribution frequency, fiber diameter, pore area, number of pores, and intersection density) were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ImageJ software. The PCL/GLT/LSLE nanofibrous mat had well-branched and porous structure with a mean diameter of 500.2 ± 20.46. The presence of functional groups of PCL and GLT polymers in the structure of the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Contact angle measurement and swelling behavior assessment showed that the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat had better surface wettability (75.67 ± 2.71) and hydrophilicity (241.8 ± 27.01) properties in comparison with the PCL and PCL/GLT mats. Findings from the MTT assay indicated the biocompatibility of the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat for human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). In addition, the anchorage and proliferation of HDFs on the PCL/GLT/LSLE mat was confirmed by SEM. Macroscopic and histopathological evaluations were performed at the end of the 3, 7, and 14 days after the conduction of experimental burn wound injury in rats. The results indicated that grafting the skin wounds with the PCL/GLT/LSLE nanofibrous mat accelerated the wound closure and improved histopathological score compared to the other animal groups dressed with the PCL and PCL/GLT mats. In conclusion, the PCL/GLT/LSLE nanofibrous mat has promising potential for dressing skin wounds.

Graphical Abstract