Electrospun curcumin-loaded cellulose acetate/polyvinylpyrrolidone fibrous materials with complex architecture and antibacterial activity

•Novel curcumin-loaded materials based on cellulose acetate and polyvinylpyrrolidone were prepared by electrospinning.•Using one-pot or dual spinneret electrospinning enabled modulating drug release.•The incorporation of polyvinylpyrrolidone resulted in faster curcumin release.•The curcumin-containing mats exhibited antibacterial activity thus rendering them suitable for wound dressing applications.

Novel fibrous materials from cellulose acetate (CA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) containing curcumin (Curc) with original design were prepared by one-pot electrospinning or dual spinneret electrospinning. The electrospun materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), water contact angle measurements, and microbiological tests. It was found that the incorporation of Curc into the CA and PVP solutions resulted in an increase of the solution viscosity and obtaining fibers with larger diameters (ca. 1.5 μm) compared to the neat CA (ca. 800 nm) and PVP fibers (ca. 500 nm). The incorporation of PVP resulted in increased hydrophilicity of the fibers and in faster Curc release. Curc was found in the amorphous state in the Curc-containing fibers and these mats exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The results suggest that, due to their complex architecture, the obtained new antibacterial materials are suitable for wound dressing applications, which necessitate diverse release behaviors of the bioactive compound.

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