Novel Bio-Functional Electrospun Membranes by Chios Mastic Gum Encapsulation

Pistacia lentiscus var. chia resin (Chios Mastic Gum—CMG) is a natural aromatic resin that has been utilized in traditional medicine for more than 2.5 millennia, as it exhibits a wide range of pharmacological properties. In this study, various quantities of Chios Mastic Gum (3.5, 6.5, and 10 wt%) were encapsulated in electrospun fibers of poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) to develop functional fibrous mats with multiple potential applications. The morphological analysis of composite membranes was conducted through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), revealing the formation of uniform fibers and incremental diameter size in samples with a higher concentration of CMG. The encapsulation efficiency was assessed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and showed an exceptionally high loading efficiency (87–88%). The cytotoxicity of CMG-loaded nanofibers was tested in human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293 and human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2 using the MTT assay. In both cases, a high concentration of encapsulated CMG led to a statistically significant reduction in cell viability.