Emulsion Electrospun Polylactide/Sodium Alginate Nanofibrous Membranes with Rhinacanthus nasutus Extract for Natural Antibacterial Function

Sustainable materials with renewability and biodegradability have recently become an increasingly important topic for many industries including a personal care segment. In this study, polylactide (PLA)/sodium alginate (SA) nanofibrous membranes with natural antibacterial function of Rhinacanthus nasutus extract (RN) are proposed for health care pads. The PLA/SA/RN pads with varying RN contents were prepared by an emulsion electrospinning technique. Availability of all substances and thermal properties of the membranes were investigated. The addition of SA and RN significantly improved water absorption rate and water absorption capacity of the PLA nanofibrous membranes. Release profile of RN were carried out and determined by UV–visible spectroscopy. The PLA/SA/RN nanofibrous membranes obtained enabled fast release of RN and provided antibacterial properties against S. aureus and E. coli. In the meantime, the mechanical properties of the PLA/SA/RN nanofibrous membranes were fine-tuned by varying RN contents. The results demonstrated that the PLA/SA/RN with 15% w/w RN was an optimum formulation showing acceptable mechanical properties.