Curcumin-PVP Loaded Electrospun Membranes with Conferred Antibacterial and Antitumoral Activities

Electrospun membranes containing curcumin were prepared from poly(L-co-D,L-lactic) acid and polyvinylpyrrolidone. The effect of curcumin concentration on the solution viscosity and the morphology of fiber was studied. Curcumin solubility in aqueous solutions was enhanced by the formation of curcumin/polyvinylpyrrolidone water-soluble complex. Curcumin physico-chemical and therapeutic properties within the membranes were preserved upon UV-Vis light irradiation, as a part of the membranes sterilization. The biomaterials showed antibacterial activity against pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. In-vitro experiments against HeLa and Graffi tumor cells and white blood cells (peritoneal macrophages and spleen lymphocytes) revealed potential biomedical application of the membranes.