Production characterization and in vivo investigation of silymarin doped nanofiber surfaces and their performance as wound dressing

The aim of this thesis is to examine the usage performance of Silymarin-loaded nanofiber surfaces produced by electrospinning method as a wound dressing. Nanofiber mats containing different concentrations of Silymarin were produced and characterized. The in vitro drug release potential of the produced surfaces and their effectiveness on wound healing in vivo were demonstrated. The thesis generally consists of two parts. In the first part, polycaprolactone solutions containing Silymarin at different concentrations were prepared, their viscosity values measured, and nanofiber surfaces were produced by determining the most suitable parameters by electrospinning method. Characterization of the fabricated surfaces were carried out by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact angle measurements. The release of active substance from silymarin-loaded nanofiber mats was measured by UV-VIS spectrophotometer. As a result of characterization and in vitro release studies, the surface with the best nanofiber morphology and active agent release potential was determined to be used as a wound dressing. In the second part of the thesis, an in vivo experiment was carried out. The effectiveness of the silymarin-loaded nanofiber mat on wound healing was demonstrated by comparing it with a commercial product on full-thickness excision wounds model in rats. The results of this study showed that Silymarin-loaded nanofiber dressings increase the wound healing rate compared to the pure PCL and commercial dressing. Thus, a safe and effective biomaterial that can be used in wound treatment has been developed.