Preventing infections is one of the main focuses of wound care. The colonisation of wounds by microorganisms can in fact have negative consequences on the healing process, delaying it. Here, we propose the use of essential oils as natural antimicrobial agents for cellulose-based fibrous dressings. We demonstrate the production of composite electrospun fibres that effectively encapsulate three different types of essential oils (cinnamon, lemongrass and peppermint). The fibrous scaffolds are able to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, even when small amounts of essential oils were used. At the same time, they are not cytotoxic, as proved by biocompatibility assays on skin cell models. The created dressings are promising as advanced biomedical devices for topical treatments.

The method of electrospinning was used to create nanofibers made of cellulose acetate (CA) and essential oils (EOs). CA polymer at 15% w/v was dissolved in acetone and then 1% or 5% v/v of EOs was added to the polymer solution. The utilized essential oils were rosemary and oregano oils. Then, the CA/EOs in acetone solution were electrospun, creating micro/nanofibers, approximately 700–1500 nm in diameter. Raman spectroscopy was used to detect the attachment of the EOs in the CA electrospun fibers (ESFs). Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the morphology, topography and dimensions of the ESFs. The formed CA/EOs ESFs are found to have good antimicrobial properties against three common microbial species, frequently found in difficult to treat infections: Bacteria species Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and the yeast Candida albicans. ESFs with 5% v/v oregano oil with respect to the initial solution, showed the best antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects due to the potency of this EO against bacteria and fungi, especially for Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. This work describes an effective and simple method to prepare CA/EOs ESFs and opens up many new applications of micro/nanofibers such as improved antimicrobial wound dressings, anti-biofilm surfaces, sensors and packaging alternatives.