The ZnO-based fibrous poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide)/gelatin dressings enable rapid hemostasis and skin regeneration in an infectious wound model

Bacterial infections and poor hemostasis delay infectious wound healing, which require alternative strategies for functional skin repair. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been shown to exert the rapid hemostasis and a potent antibacterial effect against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species. The objective of this research was to explore beneficial effect of ZnO NPs-encapsulated poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide)/gelatin mem-branes for infectious wound healing. Electrospun membranes containing ZnO NPs exhibited good cytocompat-ibility and hemostatic effect in vitro. The membranes containing ZnO NPs also exhibited good antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial species in vitro alongside inducing rapid hemostasis in a rat tail-amputation model and an ear artery injury model in rabbits in vivo. Moreover, membranes containing ZnO NPs also induced rapid wound regeneration of S. aureus-infected full -thickness excisional defects in rats as manifested by the significant reduction in the wound area as well as the formation of scar-like tissues than that of the untreated (control), biocellulose-based dressings (positive control), and membranes devoid of ZnO NPs. Taken together, electrospun membranes containing ZnO may be beneficial for infectious wound healing.