Tadalafil-loaded zein nanoparticles incorporated into pectin/PVA nanofibers as a diabetic wound dressing with enhanced angiogenic and healing properties

Given the great potential of pectin in biomedical applications and the structural advantage of nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in nanofibers (NFs), tadalafil (TDF)-loaded NPs were encapsulated into electrospun pectin/PVA NFs composite in order to afford sustained drug release. TDF-loaded zein/sodium caseinate NPs (zein/Na CAS NPs) were first prepared via anti-solvent method, then the prepared NPs were co-blended with pectin and PVA to obtain the electrospun whole composite. The fabricated composite exhibited proper NFs size and morphology associated with enhanced thermal stability and prolonged drug release for more than 14 days. Furthermore, the prepared composite demonstrated improved in vitro hydrophilic properties that supported cell attachment and growth with a very low hemolytic activity. Furthermore, in vivo study conducted on a diabetic rat model revealed that the whole composite including TDF-NPs and pectin had superior wound closure, skin regeneration and collagen deposition when compared to pectin/PVA NFs. In addition, the fabricated composite significantly decreased some inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) in comparison to the untreated diabetic control. In addition, due to TDF's angiogenic properties, the whole composite showed a significant increase in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein level. Therefore, this NPs-in-NFs composite approach could serve as an effective diabetic wound dressing.