Synergistic effect of iron oxide nanoparticles and ficus carica extract on pectin-PVA electrospun nanofibers for diabetic wound regeneration

Diabetes mellitus is a widespread metabolic disorder that often leads to chronic, non-healing wounds due to infection, inflammation, impaired extracellular matrix (ECM) formation, and insufficient angiogenesis. This study developed a biocompatible electrospun fiber to promote diabetic wound healing using magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs), natural citrus peel pectin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and
Ficus carica
(FC) fruit extract. The fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis was used to understand the interaction of the polymers, Fe₃O₄, and FC extracts in the fiber composite formation. The crystalline nature of the fabricated composite was observed through X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) analysis. The electrospun fibers displayed a uniform structure, enhanced by a higher PVA content, with an average pore diameter of 30.4 nm and a pore volume of 0.0126 cm
3
/g, as characterized by a brunauer-emmett-teller (BET) surface analyzer. Morphological characteristics of the fiber were noted, and the variation of the percentage of the Fe₃O₄ influence on fiber formation was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vitro analyses, including cell viability, cytotoxicity, scratch wound healing, reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining, and Hoechst staining, were performed on normal and diabetic fibroblast cells. Results demonstrated that the fibers were non-toxic, promoted cell proliferation and migration, reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced wound closure, highlighting their potential in diabetic wound care applications.