Electrospinning is a simple and versatile technique for the fabrication of nonwoven fibrous materials for biomedical applications.\nIn the present study, chitosan (CS) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) nanofibrous scaffolds were successfully prepared using three\ndifferent CS/PEO mass ratios and then evaluated for their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Scaffold morphologies\nwere observed by scanning electron microscopy, which showed decreasing fiber diameters with increasing CS content. Higher\nCS concentrations also correlated with increased tensile strength and decreased elasticity of the scaffold. Degradation studies\ndemonstrated that PEO was solubilized from the scaffold within the first six hours, followed by CS. This profile was unaffected\nby changes in the CS/PEO ratio or the pH of the media. Only the 2 : 1 CS/PEO scaffold demonstrated superior inhibition of both\ngrowth and attachment of Staphylococcus aureus. Finally, all scaffolds exhibited little impact on the proliferation ofmurine fibroblast\nmonolayers. These data demonstrate that the 2 : 1 CS/PEO scaffold is a promising candidate for wound dressing applications due to\nits excellent antibacterial characteristics and biocompatibility.
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