pH-Responsive Chitosan/Alginate Polyelectrolyte Complexes on Electrospun PLGA Nanofibers for Controlled Drug Release
Jean Schoeller,
Fabian Itel,
Karin Wuertz-Kozak,
Sandra Gaiser,
Nicolas Luisier,
Dirk Hegemann,
Stephen J. Ferguson,
Giuseppino Fortunato,
René M. Rossi
Affiliations
Jean Schoeller
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Fabian Itel
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Karin Wuertz-Kozak
Schoen Clinic Munich Harlaching, Spine Center, Academic Teaching Hospital and Spine Research Institute of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg (AU), 81547 Munich, Germany
Sandra Gaiser
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Nicolas Luisier
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Dirk Hegemann
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Stephen J. Ferguson
Institute for Biomechanics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Giuseppino Fortunato
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
René M. Rossi
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
The surface functionalization of electrospun nanofibers allows for the introduction of additional functionalities while at the same time retaining the membrane properties of high porosity and surface-to-volume ratio. In this work, we sequentially deposited layers of chitosan and alginate to form a polyelectrolyte complex via layer-by-layer assembly on PLGA nanofibers to introduce pH-responsiveness for the controlled release of ibuprofen. The deposition of the polysaccharides on the surface of the fibers was revealed using spectroscopy techniques and ζ-potential measurements. The presence of polycationic chitosan resulted in a positive surface charge (16.2 ± 4.2 mV, pH 3.0) directly regulating the interactions between a model drug (ibuprofen) loaded within the polyelectrolyte complex and the layer-by-layer coating. The release of ibuprofen was slowed down in acidic pH (1.0) compared to neutral pH as a result of the interactions between the drug and the coating. The provided mesh acts as a promising candidate for the design of drug delivery systems required to bypass the acidic environment of the digestive tract.
