Christian Volland

Bachelor student

Evaluation of dual-essential oil-incorporated nanofiber mats for antibacterial wound dressings

 

Supervisors: Irem Uenalan, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Essential oils have been used for hundreds of years in many different countries to treat injuries and illnesses. Their ability to work as an antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent is well known and described [1]. They are promising as a potential alternative for antibiotics as well. The aim of this thesis is to fabricate nanofiber mats, made of polycaprolactone by electrospinning, which incorporate two essential oils to achieve antibacterial properties, following a technology recently developed in the Erlangen Institute of Biomaterials [2]. The morphology, mechanical properties, wettability, and antibacterial properties of the new fibres will be characterized.

[1] Sharifi-Rad, J., et al. Biological Activities of Essential Oils: From Plant Chemoecology to Traditional Healing Systems. In: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 22 (2017). DOI: 10.3390/molecules22010070.

[2] I. Unalan, et al., Physical and Antibacterial Properties of Peppermint Essential Oil Loaded Poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) Electrospun Fiber Mats for Wound Healing, Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 7 (2019) 346.