The Schiff base derivative (Ch-8Q) of chitosan (Ch) and 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (8QCHO) was prepared and fibrous mats were obtained by the electrospinning of Ch-8Q/polylactide (PLA) blend solutions in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Complexes of the mats were prepared by immersing them in a solution of CuCl₂ or FeCl₃. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis was performed to examine the complexation of Cu²⁺(Fe³⁺) in the Ch-8Q/PLA mats complexes. The morphology of the novel materials and their surface chemical composition were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The performed microbiological screening demonstrated that in contrast to the neat PLA mats, the Ch-8Q-containing mats and their complexes were able to kill all S. aureus bacteria within 3 h of contact. These fibrous materials had efficiency in suppressing the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria S. aureus. In addition, Ch-8Q/PLA mats and their complexes exerted good anticancer efficacy in vitro against human cervical HeLa cells and human breast MCF-7 cells. The Ch-8Q-containing fibrous materials had no cytotoxicity against non-cancer BALB/c 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. These properties render the prepared materials promising as wound dressings as well as for application in local cancer treatment.

The present study aimed to fabricate innovative fibrous materials with various biological activities from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), sodium hyaluronate (HA), chitosan (Ch), Melissa officinalis (MO), Hypericum perforatum (HP) extract, or a combination of both extracts. Electrospinning or electrospinning followed by dip coating and the subsequent formation of a polyelectrolyte complex were the methods used to prepare these materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) were applied for investigating the morphology of materials, their thermal characteristics, and their surface chemical composition. The composition and design of the mats had an influence on the in vitro release behavior of the main bioactive compounds present in the MO and HP extracts incorporated in the materials. It was found that as-created materials comprising a combination of both extracts and a Ch/HA complex exerted higher antioxidant activity than that of (non-)coated MO-containing mats and Ch/HA-coated mats containing HP. The novel materials manifested antibacterial efficacy towards the pathogenic bacteria S. aureus and E. coli, as evidenced by the performed microbiological screening. Furthermore, the mats possessed a great growth inhibitory effect on HeLa cancer cells but had a less pronounced effect on the growth of normal mouse BALB/3T3 fibroblasts. The loading of both extracts in the mats and the formation of coating led to the enhancement of the in vitro anticancer and antibacterial activities of the materials. Thus, the novel materials have potential for use in local cancer therapy as well as for use as wound dressings.

The focus of the present study is on the fabrication of effective and eco-friendly hybrid electrospun materials based on poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) (PLDLLA), Fe₃O₄ and ZnO with an appropriate design for antioxidant and photocatalytic performance. The design of the fibrous materials was purposely tailored in one step by electrospinning and simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying. Electrospinning of PLDLLA and its mixture with Fe₃O₄ resulted in the fabrication of materials with design type “in”. Furthermore, the surface of the electrospun PLDLLA and Fe₃O₄-in-PLDLLA was decorated with ZnO particles by simultaneous electrospraying, thus materials with design type “on” were obtained. In this case, quaternized N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan iodide (QCOS) was used as a sticking agent of ZnO particles onto the fiber’s surface. Different structures and morphologies of the electrospun materials were observed by SEM equipped with EDX and TEM. TGA and XRD analyses show that the presence of inorganic particles had an impact on the thermal properties and crystallinity of the electrospun materials. Furthermore, the material type “on” showed improved wettability with a water contact angle less than 90° compared to the material type “in” with an angle larger than 90°. In particular, the presence of Fe₃O₄ imparts complementary magnetic properties, while ZnO considerably increased the antioxidant activity of the fibrous materials. Materials with design type “on” displayed over 70% radical scavenging capacity in contrast to the material type “in” with less than 20% capacity within 30 min of contact. Moreover, the purposely tailored design type “on” materials provided excellent photocatalytic degradation of model organic pollutant methylene blue dye under UV light irradiation even after 5-fold use, and at the end of the fifth cycle these materials degraded more than 90% of the dye. These results reveal not only a strategy for the fabrication of electrospun hybrid bio-based materials with targeted design but also provide a promising, simple and effective way for mitigating water pollution.