WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL STARCH/PVA ELECTROSPUN NANOSCAFFOLDS INCORPORATED WITH ULTRASONIC-ASSISTED BIOGENIC SYNTHESIS OF CuO NANOPARTICLES FROM BROWN MARINE MACROALGAE (Dictyota sp.) EXTRACT

Abstract

This study explores the wound healing potential of multifunctional starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) electrospun nanoscaffolds incorporated with ultrasonically synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) derived from Dictyota sp. algal extract. UV-Vis spectroscopy confirmed nanoparticle formation, showing a characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses verified the chemical and crystalline structure of CuO NPs and their successful integration into the nanoscaffold matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging revealed uniform nanoparticle distribution within smooth, bead-free nanofibers, and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated enhanced thermal stability due to CuO NP incorporation. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) indicated stable, well-dispersed nanoparticles with a zeta potential of −20.08 mV. The wound healing (scratch) assay on HaCaT keratinocytes demonstrated concentration-dependent efficacy, with starch/PVA/CuO-NP nanoscaffolds outperforming both algal extract and CuO NPs alone. At 100 µg/mL, nanoscaffolds achieved 98.07% wound closure, compared to 86.07% for CuO NPs and 72.07% for algal extract. These results highlight the synergistic effect of the composite nanoscaffold in accelerating cell migration, positioning it as a promising biomaterial for advanced wound care applications. The study underscores the potential of green-synthesized CuO NPs and biopolymer-based nanoscaffolds in regenerative medicine.