Abstract
In this study, naftifine (a topical antifungal drug) loaded poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) nanofibrous mats were prepared using the single-needle electrospinning technique. The produced nanofibers were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GTA) vapor. The morphology and diameter of the electrospun nanofibers were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM images showed the smoothness of the nanofibers and indicated that the fiber diameter increased with crosslinking and drug loading. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images confirmed the uniform production of the scaffolds, and elemental mapping via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed the uniform distribution of the drug within the nanofibers. An attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy study demonstrated that naftifine has sufficient secondary interactions with the polymer blend. The crosslinking treatment decreased the burst drug release effectively and the release mechanism followed Korsmeyer-Peppas Super Case-II transport. Overall, these findings suggest the potential use of naftifine-loaded PVA/SA nanofibers as a topical antifungal drug delivery system.
Highlights
In recent years, electrospun nanofibers have gained great interest as drug delivery vehicles due to their ultrafine structure, large surface area to volume ratio, and high porosity with a small pore size
After immersing in water for 24 h, the crosslinked nanofiber membrane showed no significant change (Figure 2) and our results indicated that the crosslinking process improved the hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) nanofibers without altering the fiber morphology
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed the smoothness of the nanofibers and indicated that the fiber diameter increased with crosslinking and drug loading
Summary
Electrospun nanofibers have gained great interest as drug delivery vehicles due to their ultrafine structure, large surface area to volume ratio, and high porosity with a small pore size. In addition to use in several applications such as tissue engineering, wound healing, burn therapy and haemostatic devices, drug delivery is one of the most promising uses of nanofibers (Hu et al, 2014; Huang et al, 2003). A wide range of natural and synthetic polymers can be electrospun into nanofiber matrices.
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