Fabrication Of Electrospun PVA Nanofibers Incorporated With Guava Leaf (Psidium Guajava L.) Extract As An Antibacterial Agent
Natasya Shalla Evelin1, Seif Fakih Husein1, Mujtahid Kaavessina2, and Yulianto Agung Rezeki1,*

1Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jalan Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia,

2Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jalan Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia.

Abstract

Wound infection caused by bacterial contamination remains a major challenge in wound management, particularly with the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, considerable attention has been directed toward the development of alternative antibacterial agents. Among these, Psidium guajava (guava) leaf extract has attracted considerable attention due to its antimicrobial properties and has been incorporated into electrospun nanofibers. However, previous studies have mainly focused on polyurethane-based systems and have not systematically investigated the effect of extract loading on nanofiber properties and antibacterial performance. Accordingly, this study investigated the effect of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/guava leaf extract (GLE) mass ratio on the physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity of electrospun nanofibers for wound dressing applications. PVA/GLE solutions with mass ratios of 10:0, 7:1, 6:1, and 5:1 were electrospun and characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, water contact angle, mechanical testing, and antibacterial assays against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Increasing GLE content reduced the average fiber diameter from 172.9 +- 29.9 nm to 102.0 +- 19.1 nm. XRD and FTIR analyses indicated reduced crystallinity and intermolecular interactions between PVA and GLE, while water contact angle measurements confirmed enhanced hydrophilicity. The 5:1 PVA/GLE nanofibers exhibited the highest tensile strength (9.79 MPa) and elongation at break (75.66%) and showed inhibition zones of 8.85 mm +- 0.07 and 7.83 mm +- 0.16 against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. These findings demonstrate that GLE incorporation effectively tailors the physicochemical properties and antibacterial performance of electrospun PVA nanofibers, highlighting their potential as natural antibacterial wound dressing materials.

Keywords: Guava leaf extract- polyvinyl alcohol- electrospinning- nanofibers- antibacterial activity.

Topic: Physical Chemistry