Cellulose acetate (CA) fiber mats containing inclusion complexes of asiaticoside (AC) in 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) for potential usage as wound dressings were developed. The AC/HPβCD complex-loaded CA fibers at various HPβCD to AC molar ratios of 0.5, 1, and 2 were prepared in 90:10 v/v mixture of 80% (v/v) acetic acid and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) via electrospinning. The maximum released amounts of AC depended on the HPβCD content and were much greater than those released from the AC-loaded CA fiber mat. In the in vitro study, indirect cytotoxic evaluation with human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) showed that these materials released no substances in the levels that were harmful to the cells and the cells appeared to attach and proliferate well on these substrates. However, only the CA fiber mats containing AC/HPβCD complexes at the HPβCD to AC molar ratio of 0.5 was effective in upregulating the production of collagen of the cultured cells.

Keywords: asiaticoside; 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin; cellulose acetate; wound dressings; electrospinning.