Chloramphenicol loaded polylactide melt electrospun scaffolds for biomedical applications

Abstract

Melt electrospinning of polylactide (PLA) loaded with chloramphenicol (CAM) has been performed and characteristics of fibers, physical properties of scaffolds, CAM release behavior, antibacterial properties and biocompatibility have been evaluated. The interest of CAM loaded samples is nowadays enhanced for biomedical applications since this antibiotic has been demonstrated to be efficient for the treatment of cancer. Melt electrospinning has been selected as an ideal preparation process because it avoids the use of toxic solvents which are harmful to the environment and could be problematic for biomedical applications. The electrospinning process rendered fibers with a relatively large diameter (between 20 μm and 40 μm depending on the load) and minimum polymer degradation. Characteristics of melt electrospun scaffolds were also compared with those prepared by solution electrospinning. Differences consisted in a more sustained release and a higher biocompatibility for the melt processed samples. Bactericide effect was evaluated as an evidence of the maintenance of the CAM bioactivity after melt processing at high temperature and the slower release caused by the relatively high diameter of the constitutive fibers. Since pure CAM showed thermal degradation at temperatures relatively close to the PLA melting temperature, a complete analysis of the degradation process of pure CAM as well as of PLA samples loaded with CAM was performed. The Invariant Kinetic Parameters method allowed determining an initial decomposition step that followed an autoaccelatory Avrami model, and then an autocatalytic decomposition reaction took place for conversions higher than 50%. Dispersion in the PLA matrix enhances the thermal stability of the antibiotic, with an onset temperature of degradation that was higher by 16 °C in the melt-electrospun fibers than in the liquid state of pure CAM.