Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Performance of Biogenic Silver Nanoparticle‐Loaded Novel Tricomposite Nanofibrous Mats, Substantiated Using Unique Goat Bone–Agar‐In Vitro Antibiofilm Model

Diabetic foot ulcers are a major worldwide health concern, with infection rates as high as 56% in the US and greater than 25% in India, with predominance of multidrug‐resistant bacteria. Because traditional wound dressings fail to meet expectations, in this study, new electrospun nanofibrous mats with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chitosan, and gum Arabic (PCA) were prepared by electrospinning. The nanofiber mats (PCA‐Ag‐1, PCA‐Ag‐5, and PCA‐Ag‐10) were functionalized after electrospinning by in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by banana leaf extract (BLE) and 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mM of AgNO 3 , respectively. FTIR analysis confirmed that AgNPs were successfully incorporated into the nanofibers without disrupting their structure, and TGA/DSC profiles suggested improved thermal stability of the AgNP‐loaded nanofibers. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy was used to analyze Ag content of 0.9, 1.6, and 2.3 μg/mg for PCA‐Ag‐1, −5, and −10, respectively. PCA‐Ag‐10 displayed greater antimicrobial activity, with inhibition zone of 43 mm ( Escherichia coli ), 33 mm ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa ), and 25 mm ( Staphylococcus aureus ) inhibition zones. Antibiofilm activity evaluation of nanofibers indicated that E. coli and P. aeruginosa were inhibited by over 90%, while S. aureus was inhibited by around 30.0%. PCA‐Ag‐10 nanofibers caused a 3‐log reduction (99.9%) of S. aureus biofilm and a 66% inhibition of E. coli and P. aeruginosa biofilms, outperforming PCA nanofibers with silver sulfadiazine (SSD) loading in a goat bone osteomyelitis model. The paper illustrates the effectiveness of BLE‐synthesized AgNP‐loaded PCA nanofibers as biocompatible, antibiofilm, and antimicrobial dressings for efficient management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs).