5-Fluorouracil-loaded poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan blend nanofibers: morphology,drug release and cell culture studies

Electrospun polymeric nanofibers as carriers for anticancer drugs have received a great deal of attention to treat tumor cells. This work was aimed to prepare an optimized nanofibrous sample based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan (CS) blend, and then evaluate it containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in terms of morphology, drug release, and cell culture. The electrospinning conditions to produce PVA/CS (50/50) blend nanofibers with an average diameter of approximately 150.8 nm were adjusted as follows: applied voltage 17 kV, needle tip to collector distance 60 cm, and flow rate 0.1 mL/h. The obtained results from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that there were no chemical interactions between the polymers and drug during the electrospinning process and the uniform morphology without beads. Moreover, to prolong 5-FU release from the blend nanofibers, three layered samples consisting of PVA/CS blend and poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) PVA/CS-PCL 3-layers] were electrospun. On the other hand, by adding PCL in the PVA/CS blend nanofibers, the samples showed more hydrophobic property. Eventually, thiazolyl blue (MTT) assay along with NIH 3T3 cells culture proved that the sample could kill more than 80% of the cells. This formulation could be a promising candidate for cancer therapy potentially.