Green Approach to Develop Bee Pollen-Loaded Alginate Based Nanofibrous Mat

• Main Authors: Ayben Pakolpakçıl, Zbigniew Draczynski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Materials
• Subjects: bee pollen; nanofiber; biomaterial; green production; electrospinning
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/11/2775

Green electrospun materials are gaining popularity in the quest for a more sustainable environment for human life. Bee pollen (BP) is a valuable apitherapeutic product and has many beneficial features such as antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Alginate is a natural and low-cost polymer. Both natural materials show good compatibility with human tissues for biomedical applications and have no toxic effect on the environment. In this study, bee pollen-loaded sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol (SA/PVA) nanofibrous mats were fabricated by the electrospinning technique. The green electrospun nanofibrous mats were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). According to the findings of the study, the toxin-free electrospinning method is suitable for producing green nanomaterial. Because of the useful properties of the bee pollen and the favorable biocompatibility of the alginate fibers, the bee pollen-loaded SA/PVA electrospun mats have the potential for use in a variety of biomedical applications.