LAUSR

Propolis as a natural antibacterial agent was incorporated into the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in different forms of nanofiber, microfiber, and film. The successful fabrication of uniform nanofibers with 85–314 nm diameters and microfibers with 2.02 μm diameter was proved by scanning electron microscopy. Structural analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction and swelling properties confirmed the formation PVA hydrogel and its H-bonding to the propolis. Evaluation and comparison of antimicrobial properties of produced samples against Staphylococcus aureus strains revealed that nanofiber mat with 19 mm inhibition zone has 11.76 and 26.67% higher efficiency against bacteria than microfiber mat and film with 17 and 15 mm inhibition zone, respectively. Nanofibrous mat showed sustained release during 96 h by maintaining full antibacterial activity up to 51 h which is of great importance in burn wounds. These results confirm the advanced performance of natural propolis in the form of nanofiber substrate as wound dressing. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 135, 45794.