Electrospun Polylactic Acid Nanofiber Mats Loaded with Andographolide: Fabrication and Characterization

Andrographolide (AG), a bioactive diterpenoid isolated from Andrographis paniculata, exhibits significant pharmacological activities but suffers from low aqueous solubility. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) was used to fabricate biocompatible electrospun nanofiber mats loaded with AG. The AG-loaded PLA nanofibers (AG/PLA-1 and AG/PLA-2) were successfully fabricated via electrospinning and characterized in terms of morphology and fiber diameter distribution using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). SEM analysis revealed smooth and continuous fibers with average diameters of 220 ±20 nm for AG/PLA-1 and 350 ±100 nm for AG/PLA-2. ATR-FTIR spectra confirmed the successful incorporation of AG into the PLA matrix without significant chemical interaction, indicating good compatibility between natural compound and polymer. These findings suggest that PLA-based electrospun nanofibers are a promising platform for the delivery of poorly water-soluble compounds such as andrographolide.