Electrospun poly-ε-caprolactone fibers loaded with inclusion complex of sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin with dexamethasone as potential drug release systems

The research focuses on the developing of electrospun poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) fibers (mats) loaded with inclusion complex of sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin sodium salt (SB-β-CD) with dexamethasone (Dex) as a known anti-inflammatory drug, and studying their structural characteristics and desorption properties in vitro (in saline and water solution). Initially, inclusion complex of SB-β-CD with Dex was prepared and complexation between these components was confirmed by FTIR-spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and thermal mass spectrometry. Both neat PCL fibers (mats) and those filled with the inclusion complex were produced via electrospinning technique from chloroform-DMSO solutions. PCL films and the films with incorporated inclusion complex as a references for comparison were casted from the same solvents. Features of the structural, morphological, thermophysical of the electrospun PCL mats were analyzed by XRD, scanning electron microscopy, DSC, and desorption behavior as well. >80 % of the fibers obtained have diameters in the range of 180–400 nm and the average diameter of unloaded fibers is found to be 380.47 nm, which is almost 2.5 times smaller than in loaded fibers. The data of the drug release kinetics evidence that the desorption of dexamethasone from PCL matrix is significantly accelerated in saline compared to the release this drug in water. The elaborated nanofiber materials could be considered as potential objects for further investigations as drug release systems.