Abstract
Polylactide/polyethylene glycol/curcumin (PLA/PEG/Cur) composite nanofibers (CNFs) with varying ratios of PEG were successfully fabricated by electrospinning. Characterizations of the samples, such as the porous structure, crystalline structure, pore size, wetting property and Cur release property were investigated by a combination of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV spectrophotometer. The antibacterial properties of the prepared porous CNFs against Escherichia coli bacteria were studied. The results showed that with the decrease of PEG in the CNFs, there appeared an evident porous structure on the CNF surface, and the porous structure could enhance the release properties of Cur from the CNFs. When the weight ratio (PEG:PLA) was 1:9, the pore structure of the nanofiber surface became most evident and the amount of Cur released was highest. However, the antibacterial effect of nonporous CNFs was better due to burst release over a short period of time. That meant that the porous structure of the CNFs could reduce the burst release and provide better control over the drug release.
Highlights
Electrospinning has been recognized as a simple and efficient technique for the fabrication of composite nanofibers (CNFs)
Zhang et al [11] reported that the polyethylene glycolation (PEGylation) modification could afford a faster release profile of the encapsulated drug than pure poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibers, and the drug-loaded PLGA-PEG/Cur CNFs with different weight ratios (PEG) nanofibers were able to inhibit the growth of a model bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus
The results showed the contact angle (CA) and the cumulative release of Cur increased with the decrease of PEG, due to the appearance of a porous structure on the nanofiber surface
Summary
Electrospinning has been recognized as a simple and efficient technique for the fabrication of composite nanofibers (CNFs). High specific surface area and high surface activity, porous nanofibers have many existing and potential applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, electronic engineering, and so on [1,2,3,4,5]. Zhong et al [16] prepared PLA and a PLA-b-PEG composite porous scaffold loaded with a high dose of aspirin, using the solvent casting/particulate leaching technique, and found that the amphiphilic block polymer could efficiently enhance the dispersion property and stabilize the release of hydrophilic drugs. Electrospun PLA/PEG/Cur porous CNFs were fabricated by controlling the weight ratio of PEG:PLA. The effects of this ratio on the morphology and porous structure of CNFs were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and capillary flow porometry. That meant that the porous structure of CNFs could reduce the burst release and allow better control of the drug release
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