Electrospun PVA/Mgo Nanofibers as Bioactive Wound Dressings: Controlled Mg²⁺ Release, ROS-Mediated Antibacterial Activity, and in Vitro Biological Performance

Abstract

Chronic and infected wounds present significant clinical challenges due to persistent bacterial inflammation and poor tissue regeneration. Magnesium-based biomaterials have demonstrated potential for wound healing; however, developing dressings that deliver controlled Mg+2 release while maintaining antibacterial efficacy and biocompatibility remains challenging. This study reports the fabrication and characterization of magnesium oxide (MgO)-reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite nanofibers as multifunctional wound-dressing scaffolds. Electrospun nanofibers containing 2 wt% MgO, produced at a flow rate of 3 mL/h, exhibited an average fiber diameter of 234 ± 57.99 nm and uniform nanoparticle dispersion, as confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution TEM (HR-TEM) identified the face-centered cubic ( fcc ) structure of MgO nanoparticles. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis demonstrated enhanced intermolecular interactions within the composite matrix. Mechanical characterization indicated that MgO incorporation increased tensile strength and decreased elongation at break. Mg²⁺ release studies showed sustained ion delivery over 72 h, consistent with a first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.995) and anomalous transport behavior (n = 0.87). Antimicrobial assessments revealed strong activity against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Candida albicans , with inhibition zones of 15.70 ± 1.58 mm, 8.75 ± 0.03 mm, and 31.30 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) results confirmed high growth inhibition rates of 96.47% for E. coli and 99.01% for C. albicans at 80 mg/mL. Biocompatibility was evaluated using indirect MTT assays on L929 fibroblast cells, which showed cell viability of 77.8% ± 1.84%, exceeding the ISO 10993–5 safety threshold. The findings establish a quantitative relationship among nanofiber structure, Mg +2 release kinetics, and biological functionality, underscoring the potential of PVA/MgO composite nanofibers as advanced bioactive wound dressings for chronic and infected wounds. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.