Production and characterization of electrospun silk fibroin based asymmetric membranes for wound dressing applications.

Int J Biol Macromol. 2018 Oct 11;121:524-535. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.10.041. [Epub ahead of print] Miguel SP1, Simões D1, Moreira AF1, Sequeira RS1, Correia IJ2. Author information 1 CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. 2 CICS-UBI - Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Av. Infante D. Henrique, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; CIEPQPF - Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: icorreia@ubi.pt. Abstract Nowadays, wound dressings with improved properties are under development and among them, asymmetric membranes have gained an increasing interest due to their two-layered structure that mimic both the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. Herein, a new asymmetric membrane was produced using the electrospinning technique. The top layer was produced with silk fibroin (SF) and poly(caprolactone) to reproduce the dense nature and waterproof ability of the epidermis. On the other hand, the dermis-like bottom layer was manufactured with SF and hyaluronic acid loaded with an herbal drug (thymol (THY)). All the data gathered showed that the produced electrospun asymmetric membrane exhibited the porosity, wettability, and mechanical properties suitable for the healing process. Further, the in vitro data also demonstrated that the human fibroblast is able to adhere and spread at the membranes' surface, thus confirming their biocompatibility. Moreover, the incorporation of THY into the bottom layer of the membrane, improved its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Overall, the obtained results demonstrate the appropriateness of the produced membrane for wound healing applications. KEYWORDS: Electrospun asymmetric membranes; Silk fibroin; Thymol PMID: 30316771 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.10.041