Design of Ampicillin Loaded–Electrospun Citric Acid/PVA/Dextran Nanofibers for In Vivo Wound Healing Applications: Synthesis and In Vivo Assessment

Healing wounds may lead to significant troubles affecting human health. Hence, establishing an affordable method to speed up and improve the healing process is necessary. In this study, we report for the first time the fabrication and in vivo evaluation of sodium ampicillin (AMP)-loaded, citric-acid-cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol/dextran (CA/PVA/Dex)-electrospun nanofibers (NFs) as a multifunctional wound dressing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed a successful cross-linking and NF formation. An optimized CA concentration of 5.0 wt% produced uniform, bead-free nanofibrous mats with improved structural with structural integrity and sustained AMP release. The wound healing activity of the fabricated NFs was evaluated via in vivo wound healing studies and histopathological examination using a rat excision wound model. AMP-loaded CA/PVA/Dex NFs significantly enhanced wound closure, re-epithelialization, and collagen deposition compared to AMP-free NFs, with a clear dose-dependent improvement. The obtained results demonstrated that controlled local delivery of AMP through optimized CA-cross-linked PVA/Dex NFs markedly accelerates wound healing. Therefore, the developed AMP-loaded CA/PVA/Dex electrospun nanofibrous mats represent a novel, biocompatible, and effective wound dressing platform with strong potential for clinical wound management.