Abstract:

To develop antibacterial materials with sustained release effect, chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ciprofloxacin were used to prepare a drug loaded CS/ PVA composite nanofiber membrane by electrospinning. The influence of spinning system and process parameters on the micromorphology, contact angle and chemical structures of the nanofiber membrane were explored, as well as the in vitro drug delivery behavior and antibacterial capability before and after drug loading. The results indicate that the addition of PVA enhances the spinnability of CS and the hydrophilicity of the nanofiber membrane. Nanofiber membranes with high uniformity and good modality are obtained when the applied voltage is 24 kV and the mass ratio of CS and PVA is 1 ∶ 1. 5. The drug loaded CS/ PVA composite nanofiber membranes exhibit a relative low release rate, which can effectively avoid burst release. In addition, the rate of drug release rises with the increase of ciprofloxacin concentration in nanofiber membranes. The results of antibacterial experiment show that drug loaded CS/ PVA nanofiber membrane has excellent antibacterial activity against staphylococcus aureus.

Key words: chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol, nanofiber, drug delivery, antibacterial property