Electrospun poly(l‐lactide‐co‐ε‐caprolactone)/gelatin core–shell nanofibers encapsulated with doxorubicin hydrochloride as a drug delivery system

Abstract

AbstractAdvanced application of coaxial electrospinning nanofibers in controlled drug release systems has gathered much attention since they have had a tunable structure for tailored release of drugs, including various proteins, growth factors, antibacterial and anticancer agents. The composite polymer poly(l‐lactide‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) (PLCL) blended with gelatin (GE) was used as the shell material to electrospin core–shell nanofibers. Model drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was encapsulated in the core layers. The morphology and core–shell structure were evaluated by SEM and TEM respectively. The existence of DOX in the inner part of DOX/PLCL/GE nanofibers could be proved by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results. The water contact angle test results indicated that DOX/PLCL/GE nanofibers all possess good hydrophilicity with water contact angles as low as 51.2°. The in vitro release results indicated that the DOX/PLCL/GE nanofibers showed a sustained release profile for 480 h. The fitting results showed that the release kinetics of DOX from nanofibers was consistent with a Ritger–Peppas model, presenting a typical Fickian diffusion mechanism. Overall, the DOX/PLCL/GE core–shell nanofibers showed regulable mechanical properties and could be used as a promising drug release system for drug sustained release and tissue engineering. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.