Keratin–cinnamon essential oil biocomposite fibrous patches for skin burn care

Abstract

Novel electrospun fibrous biocomposites have been fabricated, based on two naturally derived materials, namely wool keratin and cinnamon essential oil, and their efficacy for the treatment of skin burns caused by UVB exposure is demonstrated. The cinnamon essential oil, successfully encapsulated in uniform, bead-free fibers, enhances the mechanical compliance of the composite, retains its antioxidant properties and is released from the keratin matrix upon its dissolution in an aqueous environment. The low-cytotoxicity material reduces the risk of infection from Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, upon contact with UV-inflammated skin, keratin–cinnamon essential oil fibers are able to down-regulate in vivo IL-6 and IL-1β cytokine production, thus limiting the inflammatory response induced by UVB radiation exposure and confirming the potential of our designed dressing as a biomedical device for burn wound care.