Enhancement of scald wound healing using Blumea balsamifera oil-loaded nanofiber membranes

Scalding is often aggravated due to wound infection resulting from skin damage. Based on the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of Blumea balsamifera, a traditional Miao medicine, and its significant curative effect in the treatment of burns and scalds, this study used electrospinning technology to develop a nanofiber membrane incorporating Blumea balsamifera oil (BBO). Polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CS) were used as carriers, while BBO was used as the bioactive ingredient to prepare a wound dressing that promotes scald wound healing while preventing bacterial infection. The prepared wound dressings were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average fiber diameter of nanofiber membranes with varying concentrations of BBO ranged from 100.50 ± 27.52 nm to 145.27 ± 31.52 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) results showed that BBO was successfully loaded on PCL/CS nanofiber membranes. The results from mechanical property and contact angle tests demonstrated that increasing the concentration of BBO improved the tensile strength of the fiber membrane while enhancing its hydrophilicity. The water vapor permeability of nanofiber membranes with varying concentrations exceeded 15 g/(m 2 ∙ h) −1 within 24 h. The antibacterial rate of BBO-loaded nanofibers against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa was as high as 90 %. Additionally, the hemolysis rate of nanofibers with varying concentrations of BBO was less than 5 %, while the survival rate of NCTC clone 929 (L-929) fibroblast cell lines exceeded 80 % within 48 h, confirming that the nanofiber membranes with varying concentrations had good biocompatibility. The in vivo study was conducted using mice scald wound models and showed that the PCL/CS nanofiber membrane loaded with BBO significantly inhibited the growth of scar tissue in the treatment of scald wounds. Notably, within the 10–20 % BBO loading range, the PCL/CS nanofiber membrane loaded with 20 % BBO exhibited the most pronounced therapeutic effect, particularly in the early stages of scald healing.