**1. Introduction**

#### **1.1 Biofunctional (BF) - curcumin/gelatin (cc/G) nanofibers (NFs)**

The impact of new revelations in the field of nanotechnology widespreadly affects the wellbeing sciences (**Table 1**). In biomedical field, the possible parts of NFs applications which resemble drug delivery and tissue science and medicine have been researched in the article. In spite of the fact that electrospinning (ESPNG) was considered as a reasonable system for the polymer nanofibers that were polymeric, biodegradable or non-biodegradable, manufactured or common and so on, which were with uniform distances across ranges from 5 nm to a few hundred nanometers [2–4]. The ESPNG procedure was favored over other regular strategies in published papers for the synthesis of polymer nanofibers [5–8]. The requirements for the biopolymers such as their restricted dissolvability in natural


#### **Table 1.**

*Potential applications of biofunctional (BF) - curcumin (cc) based electrospun (ES) NFs (reprinted with permission from ref. [1]. Copyright 2020 IOP publishing).*

solvents due to high particle size, as well as their expensive purifying steps and their suitable polymeric solutions because of their inclination to frame hydrogen bonds, were controlled subsequent to mixing with engineered polymers in any case these restrictions may limit their ESPNG process for nanofibrous mats (NMs) [9].

The nanofibrous mats (NMs) which were prepared from ES collagen nanofibers were utilized for applications of tissue science and medicine [8]. Additionally, *Aloe vera* which is a characteristic polymer also holds potential to be used for tissue science and medicine applications because it has a cancer prevention agents and it is totally not harmful to living tissues [10, 11]. The BAs of some other ES nanofibers were discussed in **Table 1**. Gelatin (G), a polymer made up of proteins and peptides, is not harmful to living tissues. As a result, it was thought to be a fair and healthy option when it came to dressing dangerous injuries, such as diabetic ulcers.

Due to their considerable tensile strength compared to traditional fibers (with diameters ranging over 100 nm), the low profile NFs can serve as a suitable material while healing and act as barriers to protect the wound (**Figures 1** and **2**) [11–14]. Gelatin is also noted for its high water absorption and fluid affinity, making it an ideal option for the moist healing process. In methanoic acid, gelatin (a natural biopolymer that is a denatured form of collagen) is quite soluble. Collagen is a protein found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of humans and animals, but it is costly due to its production processes [15–25]. The properties of these nanofibers can also be regulated according to requirements by optimizing input process parameters (PMs) such as high potential power supply, solution's resistance to the flow, length between the NFs collector and emitter, and feed rate, according to the authors. Methanoic acid was clearly used as a natural unstable dissolvable in the ESPNG to disintegrate gelatin (G) at room temperature. Recently, the use of Gnanofibers with sufficient tensile strength for fabricating NMs has got a lot of attention for antimicrobial applications [26–30]. In addition to their light weight (LW), effective spinning of minimum diameter nanofibers provides a large surface area of these nanofibers. It was fundamentally required for the purpose of dressing the wounds and for other BAs (**Table 1**). Mindru et al. [31] succeeded in synthesizing NMs of sufficient strength for BAs using methanoic acid. Rather than cytotoxic

solvents, Maleknia et al. [32] utilized HCOOH/water to get ready solutions for the ESPNG of G-nanofibers which can be utilized for BAs such as dressing of wounds, delivery of pharmaceuticals, and for tissue science and medicine. They were successful in synthesizing G-nanofibers with 197 nm diameter. Chen et al. [33] utilized methanoic acid and ethanol to have the improvement in the volatility of the dissolvable rather than cytotoxic solvents while setting up the dissolvable for preparing ES G-nanofibers. For medication conveyance, the nanofibrous mats broke in a rapid manner in fluid polymeric solutions. Aytac et al. [23] research suggests that ES

*The event of cc discharge was shown with time (reprinted with permission from ref. 12. Copyright 2017*

*springer nature). The need to crosslink the ES - NFs was illustrated.*

*The BF - ES NFs were crosslinked to improve tensile strength of the NMs (reprinted with permission from ref.*

**Figure 1.**

**Figure 2.**

**97**

*12. Copyright 2017 springer nature).*

*An Insight into Biofunctional Curcumin/Gelatin Nanofibers*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97113*

*An Insight into Biofunctional Curcumin/Gelatin Nanofibers DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97113*

**Figure 1.**

solvents due to high particle size, as well as their expensive purifying steps and their suitable polymeric solutions because of their inclination to frame hydrogen bonds, were controlled subsequent to mixing with engineered polymers in any case these restrictions may limit their ESPNG process for nanofibrous mats (NMs) [9].

*Potential applications of biofunctional (BF) - curcumin (cc) based electrospun (ES) NFs (reprinted with*

**Few ES - NFs loaded with Cc Potential application in wound**

Few Cc loaded NFs including Zinc-Cc with coaxial NFs Orthopedic applications

Few Cc loaded NFs including (a) polycaprolactonepolyethylene glycol; (b) poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3 hydroxyvaleric acid) (PHBV); (c) poly(lactic acid) hyperbranched polyglycerol; (d) *ε* polycaprolactone/

*Nanofibers - Synthesis, Properties and Applications*

Few Cc loaded NFs including tragacanth/ poly(ε-caprolactone)

Few Cc loaded NFs including almond gum/ polyvinyl alcohol

Few Cc loaded NFs including (a) zinc NFs; (b) cellulose acetate/ polyvinylpyrrolidone NFs; (c) polyurethanes NFs; (d)

Few Cc loaded NFs including chitosan/ poly (vinyl alcohol)

*permission from ref. [1]. Copyright 2020 IOP publishing).*

polyvinylalcohol; and so on

gelatin (G) NFs; and so on

(PVA) NFs; and so on

NFs

**Table 1.**

**96**

(PVA) NFs

**healing/ dressing, so on**

Potential wound healing application

Potential application in dressing of diabetic wound based on *in vivo*

> Therapeutic capacity and bioavailability

Antibacterial application

Sustained drug release

The nanofibrous mats (NMs) which were prepared from ES collagen nanofibers were utilized for applications of tissue science and medicine [8]. Additionally, *Aloe vera* which is a characteristic polymer also holds potential to be used for tissue science and medicine applications because it has a cancer prevention agents and it is totally not harmful to living tissues [10, 11]. The BAs of some other ES nanofibers were discussed in **Table 1**. Gelatin (G), a polymer made up of proteins and peptides, is not harmful to living tissues. As a result, it was thought to be a fair and healthy option when it came to dressing dangerous injuries, such as diabetic ulcers. Due to their considerable tensile strength compared to traditional fibers (with diameters ranging over 100 nm), the low profile NFs can serve as a suitable material while healing and act as barriers to protect the wound (**Figures 1** and **2**) [11–14]. Gelatin is also noted for its high water absorption and fluid affinity, making it an ideal option for the moist healing process. In methanoic acid, gelatin (a natural biopolymer that is a denatured form of collagen) is quite soluble. Collagen is a protein found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of humans and animals, but it is costly due to its production processes [15–25]. The properties of these nanofibers can also be regulated according to requirements by optimizing input process parameters (PMs) such as high potential power supply, solution's resistance to the flow, length between the NFs collector and emitter, and feed rate, according to the authors. Methanoic acid was clearly used as a natural unstable dissolvable in the ESPNG to disintegrate gelatin (G) at room temperature. Recently, the use of Gnanofibers with sufficient tensile strength for fabricating NMs has got a lot of attention for antimicrobial applications [26–30]. In addition to their light weight (LW), effective spinning of minimum diameter nanofibers provides a large surface area of these nanofibers. It was fundamentally required for the purpose of dressing the wounds and for other BAs (**Table 1**). Mindru et al. [31] succeeded in synthesizing NMs of sufficient strength for BAs using methanoic acid. Rather than cytotoxic

*The BF - ES NFs were crosslinked to improve tensile strength of the NMs (reprinted with permission from ref. 12. Copyright 2017 springer nature).*

**Figure 2.**

*The event of cc discharge was shown with time (reprinted with permission from ref. 12. Copyright 2017 springer nature). The need to crosslink the ES - NFs was illustrated.*

solvents, Maleknia et al. [32] utilized HCOOH/water to get ready solutions for the ESPNG of G-nanofibers which can be utilized for BAs such as dressing of wounds, delivery of pharmaceuticals, and for tissue science and medicine. They were successful in synthesizing G-nanofibers with 197 nm diameter. Chen et al. [33] utilized methanoic acid and ethanol to have the improvement in the volatility of the dissolvable rather than cytotoxic solvents while setting up the dissolvable for preparing ES G-nanofibers. For medication conveyance, the nanofibrous mats broke in a rapid manner in fluid polymeric solutions. Aytac et al. [23] research suggests that ES G-NFs exemplified with ciprofloxacin/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin incorporating complex will break down quicker in water than ES G-nanofibers stacked with ciprofloxacin. Using a dialysis process, Yabing et al. [21] synthesized drug-loaded micelles (poly(ethylene glycol)-block-caprolactone copolymer) and integrated these pharmaceuticals into ES G-NFs. The NMs developed using ES NFs have considerable surface regions and such NFs have a significant contribution in tissue science and medicine. The solvent utilized here was the methanoic acid for ESPNG BF-nanofibers which leads to different BAs such as enzyme immobilization, materials for bone recovery, antifungal and antibacterial exercise in the release of medications, bioactive materials encapsulation during packaging of food and dressing of wounds [34].

Xinyi et al. [12] synthesized curcumin/gelatin (Cc/G) nanofibrous mats and studied the arrival of Cc on rodent models (intense injury) by means of an in vitro approach. The healing process was tested by treating rodents utilizing the Cc/G nanofibrous mats (investigations done on the third, seventh, and fifteenth days subsequent to injuring). It inspired us to create Cc-loaded gelatin NFs suitable for the fabrication of NMs for the application of Cc and oxygen to the wound on a longterm basis (during healing) [13]. These NMs will then have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties, making them ideal for the healing process [13, 48–66].

**1.2 Mechanism behind electrospinning (ESPNG) of cc/G nanofibers (NFs)**

*<sup>d</sup>*<sup>2</sup> ; where permittivity was <sup>0</sup>

Taylor cone at the source which can be shown using general Eq. (1).

*ψ*1ð Þ¼ *r*, *θ Anr*

*ψ<sup>g</sup>* ð Þ¼ *r*, *θ Bnr*

ð Þ *r*, *ε*, 0 was given utilizing conditions (2) and (3).

*<sup>F</sup>*ð Þ¼ *<sup>ε</sup> <sup>b</sup>* 3 tanh <sup>2</sup>

ffiffiffiffiffi *γd*<sup>2</sup> *εR* q

*V*<sup>0</sup> and the electrode spinning gap was shown with <sup>0</sup>

was set as per ratio, *<sup>V</sup>*<sup>2</sup>

Eq. (1), *<sup>V</sup>* <sup>¼</sup> <sup>4</sup>

potential power supply (*Vc*) was

spread out from the needle tip. For, *<sup>γ</sup>* <sup>¼</sup> <sup>10</sup>�<sup>2</sup>

*An Insight into Biofunctional Curcumin/Gelatin Nanofibers*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97113*

was <sup>0</sup>

**99**

The process of electrospinning (ESPNG) utilizes an electric field applied to the emitter and a ground terminal to pull back a thread of polymeric solution out of the opening of the emitter. In the process of ESPNG, the Maxwell electrical pressure

*andR* <sup>¼</sup> <sup>10</sup>�<sup>4</sup>*m*, a high potential power supply around 10 KV was necessary to form a jet of any type. The polymeric solution of the Laplace condition (utilized in the modeling) in the feeble polarization limit depicts the electrostatics in the fluid stage in an axisymmetric indirect support framework (*r*, *θ*, *ϕ*) with the vertices of the

which was from the cone vertex of angle 2*θ*<sup>0</sup> to the emitter tip and the state of the drop was said to be utilizing a Taylor cone, accordingly was described as *r* ¼ *R z*ð Þ*:* Later on the *z*- axis was corresponding to the applied electric field with *z*∈ ½ � �*l*, *l* , where *l* was the length if the semi-long pivot of the drop and limit condition *θ*<sup>0</sup> ≥*θ* ≥ 0 represents the boundary condition of the fluid. *Pn* [*x*] was the Legendre's function, where *An* and *Bn* were constants. They suggested a model for ESPNG polymeric nanofibers which relies upon a sink-like flow towards the vertex of the Taylor cone. The course of action of the flow in axisymmetric polar headings

> *vr* <sup>¼</sup> *vF*ð Þ*<sup>ε</sup> r*

ffiffiffiffiffiffi �*b* 2 ! r

In the above Eqs. (2) and (3), velocity of the radial feed, *vr*, the kinematic solution's resistance to the flow of feed, *v*, the wedge/Taylor cone half angle, *a*, the parameter, *b* which serves to decides the inertial concentration of stream on the Taylor cone vertex/Taylor cone. With that the mass and charge conservations led to expressions for *v* and *σ* in terms of *R* and *E*, also the force and E-field conditions were assessed utilizing second-degree differential equations. Inclination of the stream surface (*R*) was supposed as the highest from the origin of the nozzle and

*ε*0

*kg=s*

*nPn*ð Þ cos *<sup>θ</sup>* ; *forθ*<sup>0</sup> <sup>≥</sup>*<sup>θ</sup>* <sup>≥</sup>0,

<sup>3</sup> *πr*3, was the drop in the volume of fluid, here the spinning gap *r*

ð Þþ *<sup>α</sup>* � *<sup>ε</sup>* <sup>1</sup>*:*<sup>146</sup> " # � <sup>2</sup> ( )

*d*0

2, *<sup>d</sup>* <sup>¼</sup> <sup>10</sup>�<sup>2</sup>

, and it must exceeded before any jet could

*nPn*ð Þ *<sup>π</sup>* � *<sup>θ</sup>* ; *for<sup>π</sup>* <sup>≥</sup>*<sup>θ</sup>* <sup>≥</sup>*θ*<sup>0</sup> (1)

, a high potential power supply

*:* The critical high

*<sup>m</sup>*, *<sup>ε</sup>* <sup>¼</sup> <sup>10</sup>�<sup>10</sup>*C*<sup>2</sup>

*=*ð Þ *Jm*

(2)

(3)

The turmeric extracted from *Curcuma longa*, which was regular turmeric (herbaceous plant) and is broadly utilized in Asian countries like India and China, as a bioactive compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in medicine. Synthetic dimethoxycurcumin has been found to be more effective than natural curcumin (Cc) at destroying cancer cells (which is the leading cause of death in the world) (derived from the plant) [35–45]. Ramrezagudelo et al. [36] incorporated antibiotic doxycycline pharmaceuticals (mitochondrial biogenesis inhibitors that may limit cancer stem cells in the early stages of breast cancer) into ES hybrid poly-caprolactone/gelatin/hydroxyapatite soft NMs and assessed these drug delivery meshes as effective antitumor and antibacterial scaffolds (**Figure 3**). The utilization of methanoic acid as dissolvable for solutes such as Cc and gelatin (G) has been the favored decision in numerous BAs. Researchers have successfully prepared solutions of Cc and dimethoxycurcumin utilizing methanoic acid [35, 46–48]. After 12 hours, higher concentrations of Cc, such as 17 percent Cc loaded poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) NFs, should release more Cc at a particular rate than lower concentrations such as 3 percent Cc loaded PCL NFs. (**Figure 2**) [11, 12]. Utilization of PCL-Cc polymeric solutions, BF-ES nanofibers were prepared [11–14, 48].

#### **Figure 3.**

*Preparation of cc loaded ES NFs for sustained release of pharmaceuticals for potential healing process (reprinted with permission from ref. 13. Copyright 2018 John Wiley and Sons).*

G-NFs exemplified with ciprofloxacin/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin incorporating complex will break down quicker in water than ES G-nanofibers stacked with ciprofloxacin. Using a dialysis process, Yabing et al. [21] synthesized drug-loaded micelles (poly(ethylene glycol)-block-caprolactone copolymer) and integrated these pharmaceuticals into ES G-NFs. The NMs developed using ES NFs have considerable surface regions and such NFs have a significant contribution in tissue science and medicine. The solvent utilized here was the methanoic acid for ESPNG BF-nanofibers which leads to different BAs such as enzyme immobilization, materials for bone recovery, antifungal and antibacterial exercise in the release of medications, bioactive materials encapsulation during packaging of food and dressing of

*Nanofibers - Synthesis, Properties and Applications*

The turmeric extracted from *Curcuma longa*, which was regular turmeric (herbaceous plant) and is broadly utilized in Asian countries like India and China, as a bioactive compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in medicine. Synthetic dimethoxycurcumin has been found to be more effective than natural curcumin (Cc) at destroying cancer cells (which is the leading cause of death in the world) (derived from the plant) [35–45]. Ramrezagudelo et al. [36] incorporated antibiotic doxycycline pharmaceuticals (mitochondrial biogenesis inhibitors that may limit cancer stem cells in the early stages of breast cancer) into ES hybrid poly-caprolactone/gelatin/hydroxyapatite soft NMs and assessed these drug delivery meshes as effective antitumor and antibacterial scaffolds (**Figure 3**). The utilization of methanoic acid as dissolvable for solutes such as Cc and gelatin (G) has been the favored decision in numerous BAs. Researchers have successfully prepared solutions of Cc and dimethoxycurcumin utilizing methanoic acid [35, 46–48]. After 12 hours, higher concentrations of Cc, such as 17 percent Cc loaded poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) NFs, should release more Cc at a particular rate than lower concentrations such as 3 percent Cc loaded PCL NFs. (**Figure 2**) [11, 12]. Utilization of PCL-Cc polymeric solutions, BF-ES nanofibers were prepared [11–14, 48].

*Preparation of cc loaded ES NFs for sustained release of pharmaceuticals for potential healing process*

*(reprinted with permission from ref. 13. Copyright 2018 John Wiley and Sons).*

wounds [34].

**Figure 3.**

**98**

Xinyi et al. [12] synthesized curcumin/gelatin (Cc/G) nanofibrous mats and studied the arrival of Cc on rodent models (intense injury) by means of an in vitro approach. The healing process was tested by treating rodents utilizing the Cc/G nanofibrous mats (investigations done on the third, seventh, and fifteenth days subsequent to injuring). It inspired us to create Cc-loaded gelatin NFs suitable for the fabrication of NMs for the application of Cc and oxygen to the wound on a longterm basis (during healing) [13]. These NMs will then have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties, making them ideal for the healing process [13, 48–66].
