Antimicrobial application of nanofibrous mats self-assembled with chitosan and epigallocatechin gallate

• Nanofibers were deposited with bilayer of CS/EGCG or CS-REC/EGCG via LBL technique.
• The addition of REC improved EE and LC of EGCG onto nanofibers.
• The addition of REC facilitated sustained release of EGCG from nanofibers.
• (CS/EGCG)n- and (CS-REC/EGCG)n-coated cellulose nanofiber had antimicrobial effect.
• The addition of REC enhanced the inhibition of CS and EGCG on bacterial growth.

Cellulose electrospun nanofibrous mats coated with bilayers of chitosan (CS) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) or with bilayers of CS-rectorite (REC) composite (CS-REC) and EGCG were fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique. LBL-structured cellulose nanofibers still maintained three-dimension fiber structure according to the observation from scanning electron microscopy images. The average diameter of nanofibers were enlarged with the addition of REC. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed the deposition of CS and CS-REC onto the corresponding mats. The tensile strength and rate of elongation at break of LBL-structured nanofibers had no difference from those of uncoated nanofibers. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of nanofibers were enhanced in the presence of REC. In addition the in-vitro cumulative release profiles of EGCG indicate that the addition of REC delayed the release of EGCG. Antimicrobial assay demonstrated the inhibitory effects of CS and EGCG on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Meanwhile the CS-REC composites improved the antimicrobial effects of CS and EGCG by adsorption of bacteria to the surface of REC then enhancement of exposure of bacteria to EGCG and the matrix of CS.

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