Melt electrospinning of daunorubicin hydrochloride-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone) fibrous membrane for tumor therapy

- Daunorubicin hydrochloride-loaded PCL fibrous membranes were prepared by melt electrospinning.
- Hydrophilic drug was dispersed in the PCL melt electrospun fiber in the form of aggregation.
- Daunorubicin hydrochloride-loaded PCL fibrous membranes showed low drug release rate and long-term release periods.

Daunorubicin hydrochloride is a cell-cycle non-specific antitumor drug with a high therapeutic effect. The present study outlines the fabrication of daunorubicin hydrochloride-loaded poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) fibrous membranes by melt electrospinning for potential application in localized tumor therapy. The diameters of the drug-loaded fibers prepared with varying concentrations of daunorubicin hydrochloride (1, 5, and 10 wt%) were 2.48 ± 1.25, 2.51 ± 0.78, and 2.49 ± 1.58 μm, respectively. Fluorescence images indicated that the hydrophobic drug was dispersed in the hydrophilic PCL fibers in their aggregated state. The drug release profiles of the drug-loaded PCL melt electrospun fibrous membranes were approximately linear, with slow release rates and long-term release periods, and no observed burst release. The MTT assay was used to examine the cytotoxic effect of the released daunorubicin hydrochloride on HeLa and glioma cells (U87) in vitro. The inhibition ratios of HeLa and glioma cells following treatment with membranes prepared with 1, 5, and 10 wt% daunorubicin hydrochloride were 62.69%, 76.12%, and 85.07% and 62.50%, 77.27%, and 84.66%, respectively. Therefore, PCL melt electrospun fibrous membranes loaded with daunorubicin hydrochloride may be used in the local administration of oncotherapy.

A novel drug delivery system fabricated by melt electrospinning was developed in this work. The drug-loaded melt fiber exhibits linear and long-term release behavior of drug, demonstrating potential applications in long-term drug release system for tumor therapy.322