SUSTAINABLE FABRICATION OF POLYMERIC NANOCOMPOSITE EMBEDDED WITH CUO NANOPARTICLES FROM TURBINARIA CONOIDES EXTRACT: A STRUCTURAL INSIGHT INTO WOUND HEALING ACTIVITY ON HACAT KERATINOCYTE CELLS

Abstract

This study explores the wound healing potential of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) electrospun nanoscaffolds embedded with biogenic copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) synthesized using Turbinaria conoides extract. The CuO NPs were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, revealing a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 270–300 nm, confirming successful green synthesis. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified functional groups involved in nanoparticle stabilization, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a monoclinic crystalline structure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed uniform nanofibers with well-dispersed CuO NPs. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated enhanced thermal stability in the nanocomposite scaffolds. The wound healing efficacy was evaluated using a scratch assay on HaCaT keratinocytes. At 100 µg/mL, starch/PVA/CuO-NPs nanoscaffolds achieved 98.55% wound closure, outperforming CuO NPs (86.55%) and algal extract (72.55%). Concentration-dependent enhancement in cell migration was observed, with nanoscaffolds exhibiting superior performance at all tested concentrations (6.25–100 µg/mL). These findings highlight the scaffold's potential as a bioactive wound dressing, leveraging the synergistic effects of biogenic CuO NPs and polymeric nanofibers for accelerated tissue regeneration.