Impact of polycaprolactone, alginate, chitosan and zein nanofiber physical properties on immune cells for safe biomedical applications

Flufenamic Acid-Loaded Electrospun Nanofibers Based on Chitosan/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Polymeric Composites for Drug Delivery in Biomedical Applications

Nanostructured drug-delivery systems with enhanced therapeutic potential have gained attention in biomedical applications. Here, flufenamic acid (FFA)-loaded chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CHS/PVA; CSPA)-based electrospun nanofibers were fabricated and characterized for antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. The FFA-loaded CSPA (FCSPA) nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate their formation process, functional group interactions, and crystallinity. Notably, the average diameter of FCSPA nanofibers decreased with increasing CSPA contents (CSPA-1 to CSPA-3), indicating that FFA addition to CSPA-3 significantly decreased its diameter. Additionally, XRD confirmed the dispersion of FFA within the CSPA amorphous matrix, enhancing drug stability. FCSPA nanofibers exhibited a high swelling ratio (significantly higher than that of the CSPA samples). Biodegradation studies revealed that FCSPA exhibited accelerated weight loss after 72 h, indicating its improved degradation compared with those of other formulations. Furthermore, it exhibited a significantly high drug-encapsulation efficiency, ensuring sustained release. FCSPA nanofibers exhibited excellent antibacterial activity, inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Regarding anticancer activity, FCSPA decreased HCT-116 cell viability, highlighting its controlled drug-delivery potential. Moreover, FCSPA demonstrated superior antioxidation, scavenging DPPH free radicals. These findings highlight FCSPA nanofibers as multifunctional platforms with wound-healing, drug-delivery, and tissue-engineering potential.

Simple preparation, big effect: Chitosan-based flame retardant towards simultaneous enhancement of flame retardancy, antibacterial, crystallization and mechanical properties of PLA

Preparing biobased flame retardants in a simple and fast path, while simultaneously imparting exceptional overall properties to PLA, poses a significant challenge. This study successfully synthesized a novel modified chitosan-based flame retardant, CPPA, through a simple one-step method and applied it to PLA. With the addition of just 10 wt% CPPA, the PLA-10%CPPA achieved UL-94 V-0 classification, while the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased to 30.3 %. Additionally, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) decreased from 494 kW/m2 to 407 kW/m2. The good compatibility between CPPA and PLA resulted in an 8.9 % improvement in the tensile performance of the PLA-CPPA composite. Furthermore, CPPA also enhanced the crystallization and antibacterial properties of PLA. This work provides a simple new approach for the development of multifunctional polymers.