(323b) Physicochemical Characteristics of Drug-Laden Nanofibers for Controlled Drug Delivery

Phenytoin, an antiepileptic agent, shows slow absorption and inadequate dissolution rate while it is administered orally. These characteristics are undesirable in drug delivery applications. Therefore, a novel drug-laden material is sought to overcome those unwanted characteristics. Electrospun nanofibers can play a significant role in controlled drug delivery when the nanofibers are impregnated with drugs. Nanofibers form nonwoven criss-cross structure when collected on a solid surface using the typical electrospinning process. However, the objective of this study is to disperse the drug-laden nanofibers in a suitable liquid media instead of a solid surface. Phenytoin has been incorporated into the electrospun polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly-epsilon caprolactone (PCL) by a modified electrospinning process. The same combination of this drug and polymers are also used to fabricate nanofibers in the conventional manner. FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) were used to characterize the new drug carrier. Dissolution studies were carried out for both types of drug-laden nanofibers. Drug dissolution rate has been found to be improved significantly for the nanofibers and comparative results are now under investigation. The results suggest that electrospun PEG and PCL fibers impregnated with phenytoin could find applications as a potential candidate in drug delivery.