Preparation and in vitro evaluation of electrospun sodium alginate fiber films for wound healing applications

There is a great interest nowadays, in the research for wound dressings that promote the healing process of skin injuries. These dressings protect the wounds from infections while speeding up the healing of the injured area. In present study, wound healing films were fabricated using electrospinning. Electrospinning is a one-step process and it is considered appropriate for the development of fibrous films that protect the wound and permit the oxygenation. Sodium Alginate (SA) and Gelatin (Gel) were incorporated in the study as known biopolymers for their wound healing properties. Betamethasone (Beta) was added as an anti-inflammatory agent. Imaging of the produced films revealed the smooth and nanosized fibers while the physicochemical characterization showed that Beta was in an amorphous state inside the polymer matrix. The wound healing properties of the films were evaluated using scratch assay, while the hemolysis assay confirmed the biocompatibility of the films when applied in open wounds. Finally, the hemostatic assay indicated the promotion of coagulation of the blood cells which is a major stage in the wound healing process.