Work

What are the impacts of gamma irradiation on the sterilization of polymeric mats containing natural extracts?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT In this study, electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) mats containing 10% Brazilian red propolis extract were developed and evaluated after exposure to gamma irradiation at 29.91 kGy. The objective was to assess whether irradiation affects the physicochemical properties, structural integrity, thermal behavior, and bioactive compound stability of the composite. A range of characterization techniques was employed, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All measurements were performed in triplicate (n = 3) and expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean. SEM (100 measurements) revealed that the morphology of the nanofibers remained preserved, with diameters of 1173 ± 360 nm (non-irradiated) and 1182 ± 340 nm (irradiated). FTIR results confirmed the chemical stability of PCL. Crystallinity increased from 52.7 ± 1.2% to 85.8 ± 2.5%, and DSC/TGA showed no change in degradation profile. Flavonoid content (15.4 ± 0.3 vs. 15.0 ± 0.4 mg QE/g) and antioxidant activity were maintained. These findings confirm that gamma irradiation preserves both structure and functionality, supporting its use in sterilizable biomaterials based on natural products.

Source: Matéria (Rio de Janeiro)

DOI: 10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2025-0290