Gentamicin-Loaded Electrospun PVA/Kefiran/Schizophyllan Membrane for Skin Tissue Engineering Applications

Healthcare-associated infections are prevalent in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. The use of wound dressings on active skin wounds, like burns, can cause damage to the skin barrier when removed for cleaning. Electrospun biodegradable and biocompatible membranes have emerged as promising alternatives for wound dressing applications. In the present study, an electrospun membrane composed of polyvinyl alcohol/kefiran/schizophyllan loaded with gentamicin and ascorbic acid was developed. Kefiran was obtained from kefir with a 0.61% extraction yield. Beadless electrospun membranes with a diameter of 400 nm were obtained. Antimicrobial activity of the membrane against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined. Growth inhibition halos of 16.4 ± 2.2 mm were found for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, the membrane cytocompatibility assay of the membrane showed no cell toxicity in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn cells). The produced membranes showed potential to be used as a wound dressing material in the future.