  As problems of antibiotic resistance increase, a continuing need for
effective bioactive wound dressings is anticipated for the treatment of
infected chronic wounds. Naturally derived antibacterial agents, such as Manuka
honey, consist of a mixture of compounds, more than one of which can influence
antimicrobial potency. The non-peroxide bacteriostatic properties of Manuka
honey have been previously linked to the presence of methylglyoxal (MGO). The
incorporation of MGO as a functional antibacterial additive during fibre
production was explored as a potential route for manufacturing wound dressing
components. Synthetic MGO and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were fabricated into webs
of sub-micron fibres by means of electrostatic spinning of an aqueous spinning
solution. Composite fabrics were also produced by direct deposition of the
PVA-MGO fibres onto a preformed spunbonded nonwoven substrate. Attenuated Total
Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (<p><sup>1</sup>H-NMR) spectroscopies confirmed the presence of MGO
within the resulting fibre structure. The antibacterial activity of the fibres
was studied using strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Strong
antibacterial activity, as well as diffusion of MGO from the fibres was
observed at a concentration of 1.55mg/<p>cm<sup>-1</sup>.
