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Fabrication of Forcespinning® nanofibers incorporating nopal extract
Author(s) -
Rodriguez Cristobal,
Padilla Victoria,
Lozano Karen,
McDonald Andrew,
Materon Luis,
Chapa Alejandra,
Ahmad Fariha,
De Leo Carlos Trevino,
Gilkerson Robert
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.6163
Subject(s) - nanofiber , membrane , materials science , chitosan , pullulan , chemical engineering , composite number , fiber , mucilage , polymer chemistry , composite material , chemistry , polysaccharide , organic chemistry , engineering , ecology , biochemistry , biology
In this study, nanofibers composed of Opuntia cochenillifera nopal mucilage (N) extract combined with chitosan (CH) and pullulan (PL) (N/CH/PL) were produced via Forcespinning®. The developed nonwoven composite membranes are composed of long, continuous and homogeneous fibers with average fiber diameter varying between 251 ± 77 nm and 406 ± 127 nm depending on the concentration of N. After crosslinking, the developed membranes were highly stable in water. The water absorption capacity of the N/CH/PL composite nanofiber membranes was shown to be 65% higher compared to CH/PL nanofiber membranes. Nopal dip‐coated membranes show inhibition of Gram‐negative Escherichia coli , indicating antibacterial properties. These findings suggest that the incorporation of naturally derived nopal extract into nanofiber systems could provide a natural alternative for dressings used in wound healing applications. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry