FABRICATION OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL NANOFIBROUS WEBS CONTAINING MOMETASONE FUROATE MONOHYDRATE AND MELATONIN LOADED SILICA XEROGELS FOR TOPICAL DRUG DELIVERY: IN VITRO RELEASE STUDY

A key approach to the controlled release of bioactive molecules is the development of drug delivery systems that minimize side effects and precisely regulate drug release. A strategy for enhancing the drug release properties of drug delivery systems involves loading drugs into a carrier before their incorporation into the system. Xerogels can be utilized since they are porous, and can be synthesized through ambient pressure drying of precursor wet-gels, offering a cost-effective, facile, and sustainable approach. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/drug loaded-silica xerogel nanofibrous webs were fabricated via electrospinning. Xerogels were synthesized via sol-gel polymerization, loaded with mometasone furoate monohydrate and melatonin, then incorporated into PVA solutions and processed into PVA/xerogel/drug nanofibrous webs. The webs were characterized in terms of their morphological and chemical properties via scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, respectively, and as well as drug release profiles. Morphological analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of drug-loaded xerogels within nanofibers without significant change in morphological structure, while chemical analysis identified distinct peaks corresponding to the specific bands of PVA, xerogel, and drugs. In vitro drug release studies demonstrated that the release of MLT was 50.289% ± 0.462% and 55.080% ± 2.955% for the 1:1 and 1:2 MLT: Xerogel formulations, respectively, whereas the control formulation (1:0 MLT: Xerogel) exhibited a release of 66.295% ± 3.293% at first 24h. The presence of xerogel resulted in a slower MLT release compared to the xerogel-free formulation. The findings highlight the potential of xerogel-incorporated nanofibrous webs as effective carriers for controlled topical drug delivery applications, i.e., wound dressing.