Essential Oils Infused Poly-ε-Caprolactone/Gelatin Electrospun Nanofibrous Mats: Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Study

Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens result in a delayed wound-healing process. As an approach to prevent infections, alternatives in the form of natural antimicrobial products have become public interest. Essential oils derived from plants are used as antimicrobials owing to their broad-spectrum activity against pathogenic organisms. In this study, essential oil from seeds of watermelon, jackfruit, and papaya was incorporated into poly-e-caprolactone/gelatin nanofibers using an electrospinning technique. The synthesized nanofibers were smooth, continuous, and bead-free. The nanofibers were found to be mechanically competent as confirmed by the universal tensile tester. The antibacterial activity of the various essential oil-loaded nanofibrous mats was determined by disc diffusion assay. Furthermore, they were found to be non-toxic and biocompatible by MTT and CMFDA assays on fibroblast cells. The obtained results have demonstrated that essential oil-loaded nanofiber mats are promising alternatives to conventional antibacterial wound dressings.