Synergy of Hydrophilic Properties and Antibacterial Inhibition in Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofibrous Mats Loaded With Croton Bonplandianum Baill Leaf Extract

ABSTRACT The antibacterial nanofibrous mat is crucial in biomedicine as it enhances infection control, expedites wound healing, and mitigates health hazards by decreasing antibiotic usage. A novel synergistic antibacterial and hydrophilic nanofibrous mat successfully fabricated by solution electrospinning from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) incorporated Croton bonplandianum Baill (CBB) leaves extract. Antioxidant‐enriched leaf extract of the CBB plant was integrated with PVA in varying proportions of 30% (CBB‐30), 40% (CBB‐40), and 50% (CBB‐50) to manufacture antibacterial nanofibrous mat. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) was recorded at 16, 18, and 21 mm for CBB‐30, CBB‐40, and CBB‐50, respectively. The wetted radius, a key parameter for moisture management properties, reached up to 20 mm for CBB‐40 and CBB‐50. This demonstrates the rapid absorption and quick‐drying characteristics, highlighting the exceptional hydrophilicity of the nanofibrous mat. The increased dozing of CBB extract into the PVA also reduced its fiber diameter. The diameters of pure PVA, CBB‐30, CBB‐40, and CBB‐50 were found as 396, 388, 279, and 241 nm, correspondingly. The developed nanofibrous mat, exhibiting ZOI of up to 21 mm, efficient moisture management properties, and a nanoscale fiber diameter of 241 nm, may possess significant uses in the biomedical domain.