Biocompatible and Antibacterial Co-Electrospun Tragacanth Gum and Polyaniline Nanofibers for Skin Tissue Engineering Publisher Pubmed



Akbari Kheirabadi Z ; Nazemi Z ; Janmohammadi M ; Radmanesh F ; Moslemi HR ; Nourbakhsh MS
Source: Scientific Reports Published:2025

Abstract

Developing novel nanofibrous skin substitutes using biomaterials that exhibit biocompatibility, suitable mechanical strength, and inherent antibacterial activity is essential. In this study, we fabricated polyvinyl alcohol/tragacanth gum/polyaniline (PVA/TG/PANI) nanofibrous membranes via co-electrospinning of PVA/TG and PVA/PANI. The membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, swelling tests, and mechanical examination. The co-electrospun nanofibers achieved an average fiber diameter of 176.45 ± 29 nm. Contact angle measurements confirmed the hydrophilicity of these membranes, which also exhibited favorable mechanical properties, including sufficient strength and flexibility. Cytocompatibility was assessed by culturing HDF-4 cells; the co-electrospun PVA/TG/PANI membrane demonstrated the highest cell viability at 91.94%, surpassing that of PVA/TG nanofibers. Furthermore, antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus was significantly enhanced in the co-electrospun nanofibers compared to the PVA/TG and PVA/PANI counterparts. Based on these findings, we propose the co-electrospun nanofibrous membrane as a promising scaffold candidate for skin tissue engineering applications. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.