Multifunctional electrospun chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds with sustained antibacterial and analgesic effects: Transforming wound healing with asymmetric wettability

Wound dressings often cause secondary damage, and conventional dressings lack sustained antibacterial efficacy, tissue regeneration, and favorable healing environment. In this study, royal jelly was incorporated into an asymmetric three-layer nanofiber by electrospinning, designed to confer sustained antibacterial activity, analgesic effects, promote tissue regeneration, and maintain an optimal moist environment conducive to wound healing. Experimental results demonstrated that royal jelly nanofiber possesses favorable mechanical properties, an impressive water vapor permeability of 408.11 g/m 2 /day, high porosity (81.22%), and substantial liquid absorption capacity (237.01%). The outer layer effectively prevents external pathogen invasion, while the inner layer absorbs excess wound exudates, thereby maintaining an optimal moist environment. In a full-thickness skin wound model, the royal jelly nanofiber membrane significantly enhanced healing, reducing the relative wound area to 4.95% after 15 days, compared to12.97% in the control group ( p < 0.001). Cross-linking of the middle layer facilitated a synergistic drug release effect, ensuring prolonged analgesic and antibacterial action. Inflammatory factor analysis and histological evaluations indicated significant modulation of inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β), enhanced cellular proliferation, increased collagen deposition, and improved angiogenesis at the wound site. This study proposes a novel strategy to mitigate secondary damage associated with wound dressing replacement.