Preparation and Characterization of Shellac Fiber as a Novel Material for Controlled Drug Release

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electrospinning process on the physical properties of fibers made from shellac. Electrospun shellac fiber was prepared by dissolving shellac in ethanol and then transferred to the electrospinning system. The influences of process parameters; including electric field voltage, tip to collector gap, feeding rate and concentration of shellac solutions; on the spinnability and properties of obtained shellac fibers were elucidated. The result demonstrated that micro-nano fibers of shellac were easily formed after spinning. The concentration of shellac solution was a crucial parameter that determined the spinnability. The electro-sprayed particles of shellac were achieved at the concentration of 35% w/w and lower while the electrospun fibers was formed in the concentration range of 40-45 % w/w. SEM pictures demonstrated that the beaded fiber structure obtained at 40-43% w/w was changed to the continuous fiber structure at 45% w/w. The diameter of fiber showed a tendency to increase while the size distribution of diameter was narrower as increasing voltage. The other optimized electrospinning parameters including feeding rate, tip to collector gap were 0.5-2 ml/h and 15-20 cm, respectively. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the critical parameters that determined the properties of required fibers. The knowledge gained should support the development of the drug incorporated electrospun shellac fiber in near future.