Engineering of a core-shell polyvinyl alcohol/gelatin fibrous scaffold for dual delivery of Thymus daenensis essential oil and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. extract as an antibacterial and functional wound dressing

Wound healing is an intricate process that can be delayed by the bacterial infection. Extracts or essential oils from medicinal plants have recently shown increased interest given the emergence of antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics. In this study, we evaluated the synergistic effect of thymus essential oil and Licorice extract on wound healing applications. Core-shell nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Gelatin (Gel)/thymus essential oil as the core (antibacterial agent) and PVA/Gel/licorice extract as the shell. SEM images of the he developed nanocomposite fibers show a monotonic, smooth, and bead-free morphology. The average diameter of PVA/Gel nanofibers was 119 nm and it was observed to increase as the essential oil and extract were added. FTIR technique was used to evaluate the chemical structure of developed nanofiber scaffolds. The core-shell nanocomposite fibers demonstrated promising antibacterial activity against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae. Furthermore, the nanocomposite scaffolds promoted proliferation of fibroblasts (L929) and was hemo-compatible in hemolysis and blood clotting assays. Developed nanofibers exhibited effective migration of fibroblasts in in vitro wound healing assays. Therefore, these results substantiated the synergistic effects of licorice extract and thymus essential oil and pose promising potential as materials of choice for wound healing applications.