Preparation and characterization of electrospun nanofibers containing glutamine

• Mucoadhesive nanofibers containing glutamine was developed and characterized.
• Electrospinning method was used for the preparation of nanofibers.
• Chitosan, sodium alginate, k-carrageenan, HPMC and PEO were used for the polymers.
• Glutamine loaded nanofibers could have potential as an oromucosal drug delivery system.

Oral mucositis is a painful inflammation of mucous membranes commonly after chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to develop mucoadhesive nanofibers containing glutamine via electrospinning and to characterize them for the treatment of oral mucositis. Different mucoadhesive polymers were tried for preparing nanofibers and sodium alginate nanofibers were chosen after the characterization studies. Glutamine-loaded nanofibers were produced and characterized. Glutamine loaded onto nanofibers was confirmed by differantial scanning calorimetry and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. As a result, scanning electron microscopy observations showed that the glutamine loaded nanofibers had average diameter of 160 nm. Glutamine amount was found to be 0.452 mg/cm2. Work of mucoadhesion, tensile strength and elongation at break values of the glutamine loaded nanofibers were found to be 0.165 mJ/cm2, 2.61 mPa and 6.62% respectively. In vitro dissolution tests showed that more than 85% of the drug was diffused from the nanofibers at the end of 4 h. Stability studies showed that there was no significant changes at 4 and 25 °C/65% relative humidity storage conditions. Therefore, these results demonstrate that glutamine loaded nanofibers could have potential as an oromucosal drug delivery system for the treatment oral mucositis.