Dual antibacterial polypeptide-coated PCL@ZIF-8 nanofiber reduces infection and inflammation in burn wounds

Burns on human skin often leads to slow recovery because of continuous wound infections caused by the loss of skin protection. In this study, a seed-free soaking method is put forward to prepare PCL@ZIF-8/εPL nanofibers as a dressing for burn wounds. This ZIF-8-coated polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber exhibits increased specific surface area, significantly increasing the polypeptide loading of epsilon polylysine (εPL) from 12 to 20 wt.%. The antibacterial experiment found that ZIF-8 and εPL exhibited dual antibacterial properties, and after εPL was loaded to ZIF-8, the nanofiber demonstrated stronger antibacterial properties that can better kill the remaining tenacious bacteria. This high-efficiency bactericidal property, combined with the ability to protect wounds from common infections by bacteria in the air, would promote wound healing, shortening the healing time period from 24 to 17 days. Further tissue sections confirm that the shielding effect and dual antibacterial properties of the composite fiber membrane are the reasons behind the acceleration of the healing of burns and scalds. Shielding and antibacterial material are helpful for the treatment of burns and scalds, and it may also guide the treatment of other types of wounds.