ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF SUSTAINABLE POLYMERIC ELECTROSPUN NANOSCAFFOLDS LOADED WITH GREEN SYNTHESIZED CUO NANOPARTICLES FROM CHONDRACANTHUS EXASPERATUS EXTRACT

Abstract

This study reports the fabrication of biocompatible starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) electrospun nanoscaffolds embedded with copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) synthesized via an eco-friendly ultrasonic-assisted method using marine macroalgae Chondracanthus exasperatus extract. The green synthesis yielded uniformly dispersed, stable CuO NPs characterized by UV–Vis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal analyses, confirming their crystalline nature, nanoparticle-polymer interaction, and enhanced thermal stability within the scaffold matrix. Morphological evaluation revealed bead-free, porous nanofibers with well-integrated nanoparticles conducive to biomedical applications. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements demonstrated colloidal stability and moderate size uniformity of CuO nanoparticles. Importantly, the nanoscaffolds exhibited significant anti inflammatory activity in vitro, outperforming both the algal extract and isolated nanoparticles, as evidenced by protein denaturation and xanthine oxidase inhibition assays, with efficacy comparable to diclofenac sodium. These findings highlight the potential of starch/PVA-CuO nanocomposites as sustainable, effective anti-inflammatory biomaterials for therapeutic applications.