Electrospinning of ampicillin trihydrate loaded PLA nanofibers: effect of drug concentration and PLGA addition on its morphology, drug delivery and mechanical properties
The aim of the study is to produce ampicillin trihydrate loaded PLA and PLA/PLGA polymeric nanofibers using HFIP as solvent via electrospinning. The effect of ampicillin trihydrate concentration (4-12%), the addition of PLGA and the amount of added PLGA (20-80%) on the spinnability of the solutions and morphology, average nanofiber diameter, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro drug release and mechanical properties of PLA and PLA/PLGA nanofibers were examined. All nanofibers have shown to have favorable encapsulation efficiency and mechanical properties. As the amount of ampicillin trihydrate increased and PLGA was added, nanofiber diameter increased while mechanical properties decreased. However, as the amount of added PLGA increased, a decrease in nanofiber diameter was observed. The increase in the drug amount caused an increase in the burst effect. The ideal drug concentration was determined to be 8% (F2), as it allows the prolonged and controlled drug release for up to 10 days. While in vitro drug release decreased with the addition of PLGA to PLA, it increased with the increasement of added PLGA to PLA. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the amount of the drug and the added PLGA concentration may affect the average nanofiber diameter, morphology, in vitro drug release and mechanical properties of the obtained electrospun PLA nanofibers.