Preparation and Characterization of Novel Antibacterial Waterborne Polyurethane Electrospun Fibers Based on Tannin for Wound Dressing Application

Skin injury is one of the most common physical injuries in human history since skin is the largest and outermost organ covering the entire body. After skin damage occur, wound healing is a crucial biological process of regeneration of ruptured tissue. Wound dressings with antimicrobial and wound healing accelerating properties are emerging as valuable options to prevent wound infection and improve the wound healing process. In this study, high porous polyurethane electrospun nanofibers were successfully prepared with tannic acid as a well-known anti-bacterial agent and containing hydrophilic quaternary ammonium salts (PU-DMPA-TA). Cell viability and in vitro wound closure, assessed by MTS and the scratch assay, confirmed that the dressing was cytocompatible and possessed fibroblast migratory promoting activity. The AATCC test and agar diffusion method indicated that the fibers presented significant antibacterial activity against E. coli,  P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and Candida albicans. These results indicate that (PU-DMPA-TA) nanofibers with high antifungal and antibacterial activity could be used for wound dressing applications.