Fabrication of antimicrobial poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/silk fibroin/aloe anthraquinone fibrous membranes for potential application of wound healing

Antibacterial wound dressings can kill bacteria around the wound and then accelerate the wound healing. To fabricate an antibacterial membrane for potential application of wound healing, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), silk fibroin (SF), and natural antimicrobial agent aloe anthraquinone (AA) were blended for electrospinning. The electrospun PLGA/SF/AA fibrous membrane consists of smooth and uniform fibers with an average diameter of 583 +/- 112 nm. The stress of the PLGA/SF/AA fibrous membrane is 3.88 +/- 0.34 MPa, which can ensure its application in skin wound healing. Owing to the good hydrophilicity of blended SF, PLGA/SF/AA fibrous membrane can release 47% of AA at 48 h and 62% of AA in 15 days. PLGA/SF/AA membrane also exhibits good antimicrobial properties and cell compatibility. These results indicate that the fabricated PLGA/SF/AA fibrous membrane in this study has a good application potential for wound healing.

Automated summary

An antibacterial fibrous membrane composed of PLGA, SF, and AA was fabricated for potential wound healing applications. The membrane exhibited smooth and uniform fibers, good stress, and the ability to release AA. It also demonstrated excellent antimicrobial properties and cell compatibility, indicating its potential for wound healing.