Fabrication and Characterization of Multiple Herbal Extracts-loaded Nanofibrous Patches for Topical Treatment of Acne Vulgaris

Herbal extracts have recently received considerable interest in acne therapy owing to their enhanced skin compatibility compared with antibiotics and synthetic agents. In this study, electrospun poly (vinyl alcohol)/chitosan (PVA/CS) fibrous patch incorporating a combination of herbal extracts with complementary mechanisms of action was developed as an alternative acne therapy for patients with resistance to the conventional treatments. The herbal extracts-loaded electrospun fibers displayed uniform and smooth-surfaced nanofibers (dia. 100–300 nm), high drug loading efficiency (89.5–97.7 %) and good water absorbing properties. Results of the in vitro release and antibacterial studies suggest the patches are capable of sustained release of polyphenol-rich extracts, which may, together with the chitosan present in the fiber, endow the patch with potent bacterial inhibition of Propionibacterium acnes. The herbal extracts-loaded patches exhibited pronounced clinical therapeutic efficacy in treating mild-to-moderate facial acne by rapidly reducing inflamed lesions and restoring epidermal barrier. Also, the herbal patches demonstrated improved biocompatibility or tolerability in comparison with the synthetic drug benzoyl peroxide. Overall, the present study has provided a facile approach to develop biocompatible polymers based electrospun fibrous patch for the efficient delivery of herbal extracts for topical skin therapy, opening new perspectives for a new generation of cosmetotextiles.