Active ingredient-containing chitosan/polycaprolactone nonwoven mats: Characterizations and their functional assays

This study demonstrates a facile method developed to generate a chitosan/polycaprolactone (CS/PCL) nonwoven mat. All nonwoven mats are composed of microfibers with an average diameter of 2.51 ± 0.69 μm. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data indicate that positively charged nitrogen was generated on the surface of the mats after undergoing CS coating. By using a non-contacting electrostatic voltmeter, we determined that the nonwoven mats exhibited a positive potential and the charge density of the CS/PCL nonwoven mat was in proportion to the thickness of the CS overlayer. Moreover, platelet aggregation and anti-bacterial ability were enhanced by the CS/PCL nonwoven mat as compared to that of PCL nonwoven mat alone. The enhancements of the CS/PCL nonwoven mat on platelet aggregation are further promoted by incorporating a 1 mM calcium ion in its CS overlayer. We also find that the addition of tea tree oil in the CS overlayer significantly inhibited LPS-induced nitrite formation in Raw 264.7 macrophages. In conclusion, our CS/PCL nonwoven mat possesses pharmacological effects including an increase of platelet aggregation, anti-bacterial, anti-adhesive, and anti-inflammatory activities. The performance of this CS/PCL nonwoven mat can be further promoted by incorporating active compounds to exert therapeutic effects in wound healing.

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► We develop a facile method to generate active ingredient-containing CS/PCLNM.
► Our CS/PCLNM possesses superior mechanical strength, compared to CS-blended PCL nanofibers.
► We prove that our prepared CS/PCLNM possesses several pharmacological properties
► The functional performances of CS/PCLNM are enhanced by incorporation of active compounds.
► Incorporation of 1 mM of calcium ions or 100 μL of TTO into the CS overlayer of CS/PCLNM is the optimum dose.