Synergistic Effect of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Ficus carica Extract on Pectin-PVA Electrospun Nanofibers for Diabetic Wound Regeneration

Diabetes mellitus is a widespread metabolic disorder that often leads to chronic, non-healing wounds due to infection, inflammation, impaired extracellular matrix (ECM) formation, and insufficient angiogenesis. This study developed a biocompatible electrospun fiber to promote diabetic wound healing using magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs), natural citrus peel pectin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and Ficus carica (FC) fruit extract. The electrospun fibers displayed a uniform structure, enhanced by higher PVA content, with an average pore diameter of 30.4 nm and pore volume of 0.0126 cm³/g. Morphological characteristics were examined using SEM, while FT-IR and XRD confirmed the fiber’s chemical and phase structure. In vitro analyses, including cell viability, cytotoxicity, scratch wound healing, ROS staining, and Hoechst staining, were performed on normal and diabetic fibroblast cells. Results demonstrated that the fibers were non-toxic, promoted cell proliferation and migration, reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced wound closure, highlighting their potential in diabetic wound care applications.