Novel silver nanoparticles-decorated chitosan (CS)-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite electrospun nanofibers, loaded with sulfanilamide for enhanced wound healing have been developed. Herein, formic acid was used as a reducing agent to produce in situ colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the composite polymeric solution with the active agent sulfanilamide. The prepared electrospun fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TG). Further, in vitro release, antimicrobial properties and in vivo wound healing activity were evaluated. The results revealed that the composite fibers displayed a synergistic antibacterial and wound healing activities. (C) 2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.