Chitosan functionalised poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous membranes as potential anti-adhesive barrier films

Abdominal adhesion could be minimised by introducing an anti-adhesive barrier between the injured site and the surrounding tissue or organ. Here, we propose an electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) functionalised with chitosan that would be an alternative to current anti-adhesion barrier films. Oxygen plasma was applied to treat PCL NFMs to improve surface wettability in case of chitosan functionalisation. XPS, SEM and AFM evidenced the presence of chitosan on nanofibre surface and its deposition was increased after O2 plasma treatment. Cell experiments verified that PCL NFMs functionalised with chitosan could significantly reduce the adhesion and proliferation of fibroblasts while promoting those of endothelial cells. Compared with PCL and CS-PCL NFMs, CS-PT-PCL NFMs showed more significant suppression of fibroblasts, positive promotion of endothelial cells and better antibacterial property, which could be of great potential for candidates as anti-adhesion barriers.