Wei Nie

Preparation of ultrafine fast-dissolving feruloyl-oleyl-glycerol-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone fiber mats via electrospinning

Fast-dissolving drug delivery membranes for poorly water-soluble drugs were prepared by electrospinning using feruloyl-oleyl-glycerol (FOG) as a model drug and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K90 as a polymer matrix in a mixed solvent of chloroform/ethanol (4:1, v/v). Results from Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) illustrated good compatibility between FOG and PVP as well as a good distribution of FOG within the fibers. The morphology and diameter of the fibers were influenced by the concentration of PVP and the applied voltage. When the PVP concentration was 5% (w/v) and the applied voltage was 14 kV, uniform and smooth fibers were obtained, with diameter 700-800 nm. Wetting time assays confirmed fast-dissolving properties with the average dissolution time for FOG-loaded PVP fiber membranes being 2.0±1.5 s. These results demonstrate the potential of electrospinning solid dispersions to improve the dissolution profile of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Electrospun zein–PVP fibre composite and its potential medical application

Abstract Electrospun zein–polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) ultrafine fibres containing varying polymer ratios were prepared and characterised. Ketoprofen was used as a model drug incorporated into the polymer system. The fibre morphologies, the composite physical states and their interactions were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that ketoprofen was well distributed in the polymer matrix. Both the surface and cross-sections of fibres were homogeneous, although they characteristically became rounder as the content of PVP in the composite increased. Results from FTIR, DSC and XRD suggested that ketoprofen exist as an amorphous solid dispersion state in the matrix. The influence of zein-to-PVP content on the drug release profiles was investigated using in vitro dissolution tests under controlled conditions. The results prove that ketoprofen release rates increased at a higher PVP level. The present research demonstrates that zein can be introduced into a fibre composite that effectively has the potential to act as matrix for drug release. This is the first report of zein acting in this context.

Fast Dissolution Nanofiber Membrane of Ferulic Acid Prepared Using Electrospinning

Fast dissolution nanofiber membranes were prepared using electrospinning process with Ferulic Acid (FA)--a traditional Chinese medicine as the active pharmaceutical ingredients and a pharmaceutical hydrophilic polymer--polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 as the filament-forming matrix. Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FE-SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR) and in vitro dissolving tests were carried out to characterize the nanofiber membranes. The FE-SEM observations informed that the nanofiber membranes had a uniform structure and smooth surface with a diameter range of 600~800 nm. No any spinning spindles or phase separated drug particles could be discriminated. The results from DSC and ATR-FTIR indicated that the drug had good compatibility with the polymer, the drug was well distributed in the nanofiber membranes as an amorphous physical status through the hydrogen bonding between the C=O group of PVP and -OH group of FA. The in vitro dissolution tests showed that the nanofiber membranes dissolved very quickly, leading to the improving dissolution profiles of the loaded FA. The electrospun nanofiber membranes prepared from pharmaceutical hydrophilic polymers are able to provide novel strategy for ehnancing the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble traditional Chinese medicine.

The Application of Polarization Microscopy in Determining Electrospinning Conditions for Preparing Drug-Loaded Nanofibers

This paper demonstrates that polarization microscopy can be a very useful tool for determining the electrospinning conditions for preparing smooth and uniform drug-loaded nanofibers. Ferulic acid (FA) was used as the model drug and PVP K60 was selected as the filament-forming matrix. Solution parameters for optimal preparation of FA-loaded PVP nanofibers were successfully established using polarization microscopy to monitor the quality of the nanofibers produced. The optimal solution parameters were: (1) 75% (v/v) ethanol as solvent, (2) the range of PVP concentration for smooth electrospinning was 10-15% (w/v), and (3) the drug concentration in the spinning solutions should not be higher than 15% (w/v) in 10% (w/v) PVP spinning solutions, in order to maintain the amophous physical state of FA in the PVP nanofiber matrix. The quality of the final FA-loaded nanofibers was confirmed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Our research offers a simple, easy but useful optical method for determining electrospinning parameters for preparing functional nanofibers.