Abstract
This investigation aims to study the characteristics and release properties of lutein-loaded polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA/SA) nanofibers prepared by electrospinning. In order to increase PVA/SA nanofibers’ water-resistant ability for potential biomedical applications, the electrospun PVA/SA nanofibers were cross-linked with a mixture of glutaraldehyde and saturated boric acid solution at room temperature. The nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Disintegration time and contact angle measurements testified the hydrophilicity change of the nanofibers before and after cross-linking. The lutein release from the nanofibers after cross-linking was measured by an ultraviolet absorption spectrophotometer, which showed sustained release up to 48 h and followed anomalous (non-Fickian) release mechanism as indicated by diffusion exponent value obtained from the Korsmeyer–Peppas equation. The results indicated that the prepared lutein-loaded PVA/SA nanofibers have great potential as a controlled release system.
Highlights
Lutein, known as “plant lutein”, is a natural pigment and an excellent antioxidant [1] widely found in vegetables, flowers, fruits, and certain algae organisms
The polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA/Sodium alginate (SA)) nanofibers were cross-linked for different time points and their hydrophilicity was measured with a contact angle measurement experiment
X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis showed that lutein was present in the stable amorphous state in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/SA nanofibers
Summary
Known as “plant lutein”, is a natural pigment and an excellent antioxidant [1] widely found in vegetables, flowers, fruits, and certain algae organisms. Nanofibers produced by electrospinning exhibit several interesting properties, including high surface area to volume ratio, and void fraction [8], which make electrospinning nanofibers an appropriate candidate as a drug delivery system Polymeric matrices such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), fibrinogen, chitosan, polycaprolactone, and polyvinylpyrrolidone provide an excellent source for electrospinning based on their biocompatibility [9,10]. PVA nanofibers have been widely utilized as potential biomaterials owing to its extraordinary hydrophilicity, biocompatibility and mechanical properties [11,12,13,14] This type of material readily composes into the film due to the fact that it contains a large amount of –OH groups, which provide a platform for hydrogen bond formation with water molecules. The nanofibers made from blending PVA and SA are highly hydrophilic
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