Integration of choline geranate into electrospun protein scaffolds affords antimicrobial activity to biomaterials used for cutaneous wound healing

Wound healing attempts to maintain homeostasis in the wound while minimizing the risk of infection to the tissue by foreign agents, such as opportunistic bacterial pathogens. Biofilms established by these pathogens are a common cause of chronic infections that slow the healing process. Preparation of skin wound healing devices comprised of electrospun proteins associated with skin have been shown to accelerate the healing process relative to conventional wound dressings. In this work, we have developed electrospinning methods to incorporate the antimicrobial ionic liquid/deep eutectic solvent choline geranate (CAGE) into these devices. Integration of CAGE into the dressing material was verified via ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, and the effect on the material property of the resultant devices were assessed using scanning electron microscopy. CAGE-containing devices demonstrate a concentration-dependent inactivation of exogenously applied solutions of both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens (Enterococcus sp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively), but maintain their ability to serve as a compatible platform for proliferation of human dermal neonatal fibroblasts.