The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties

Quercetin (QUE) is a bioactive flavonoid that is naturally present in various fruits and possesses many pharmacological activities. Despite its health benefits, the bioavailability of quercetin is relatively low due to its crystalline form and hydrophobic structure. An approach to overcoming these d...

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Main Authors: Nikoleta Stoyanova, Tsvetozara Damyanova, Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva, Ani Georgieva, Reneta Toshkova, Mariya Spasova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2307
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author Nikoleta Stoyanova
Tsvetozara Damyanova
Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva
Ani Georgieva
Reneta Toshkova
Mariya Spasova
author_facet Nikoleta Stoyanova
Tsvetozara Damyanova
Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva
Ani Georgieva
Reneta Toshkova
Mariya Spasova
author_sort Nikoleta Stoyanova
collection DOAJ
description Quercetin (QUE) is a bioactive flavonoid that is naturally present in various fruits and possesses many pharmacological activities. Despite its health benefits, the bioavailability of quercetin is relatively low due to its crystalline form and hydrophobic structure. An approach to overcoming these drawbacks is its incorporation into amorphous polymer matrices. PLA and PLA/PEG fibrous materials loaded with QUE were obtained by electrospinning. The XRD analysis revealed a visible decrease in the crystallinity of QUE after its incorporation into PLA and PLA/PEG fibers. The obtained fibrous materials and, especially, the PLA/PEG mat loaded with the flavonoid exhibited high antioxidant activity due to the better wettability and higher release rate of the bioactive compound. Moreover, the PLA/QUE and PLA/PEG/QUE mats possessed antibacterial properties against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. Furthermore, the antitumor activity of the prepared mats was tested against SH-4 cancer cells and HaCaT keratinocytes. The obtained results reveal that the QUE-loaded fibrous mats exhibited high anticancer activity against cancer cells but lower toxicity to normal keratinocytes. The combined antioxidant, antibacterial and in vitro antitumor activities render these novel PLA-based materials loaded with QUE promising candidates for wound dressing applications and for application in local tumor treatment.
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spelling doaj-art-909c4c8182af465d99aebfac77f408082025-08-20T03:11:22ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-05-013011230710.3390/molecules30112307The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor PropertiesNikoleta Stoyanova0Tsvetozara Damyanova1Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva2Ani Georgieva3Reneta Toshkova4Mariya Spasova5Laboratory of Bioactive Polymers, Institute of Polymers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 103A, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaStephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaStephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaInstitute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaInstitute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaLaboratory of Bioactive Polymers, Institute of Polymers, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 103A, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaQuercetin (QUE) is a bioactive flavonoid that is naturally present in various fruits and possesses many pharmacological activities. Despite its health benefits, the bioavailability of quercetin is relatively low due to its crystalline form and hydrophobic structure. An approach to overcoming these drawbacks is its incorporation into amorphous polymer matrices. PLA and PLA/PEG fibrous materials loaded with QUE were obtained by electrospinning. The XRD analysis revealed a visible decrease in the crystallinity of QUE after its incorporation into PLA and PLA/PEG fibers. The obtained fibrous materials and, especially, the PLA/PEG mat loaded with the flavonoid exhibited high antioxidant activity due to the better wettability and higher release rate of the bioactive compound. Moreover, the PLA/QUE and PLA/PEG/QUE mats possessed antibacterial properties against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. Furthermore, the antitumor activity of the prepared mats was tested against SH-4 cancer cells and HaCaT keratinocytes. The obtained results reveal that the QUE-loaded fibrous mats exhibited high anticancer activity against cancer cells but lower toxicity to normal keratinocytes. The combined antioxidant, antibacterial and in vitro antitumor activities render these novel PLA-based materials loaded with QUE promising candidates for wound dressing applications and for application in local tumor treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2307electrospinningquercetinpolylactic acidwater-soluble polymerantioxidantantibacterial and antitumor properties
spellingShingle Nikoleta Stoyanova
Tsvetozara Damyanova
Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva
Ani Georgieva
Reneta Toshkova
Mariya Spasova
The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties
Molecules
electrospinning
quercetin
polylactic acid
water-soluble polymer
antioxidant
antibacterial and antitumor properties
title The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties
title_full The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties
title_fullStr The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties
title_full_unstemmed The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties
title_short The Effect of Quercetin Loading in Polylactic Acid-Based Electrospun Fibers on Their Antioxidant, Antibacterial and Antitumor Properties
title_sort effect of quercetin loading in polylactic acid based electrospun fibers on their antioxidant antibacterial and antitumor properties
topic electrospinning
quercetin
polylactic acid
water-soluble polymer
antioxidant
antibacterial and antitumor properties
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/11/2307
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