Implantable drug delivery systems (IDDSs) play a vital role in treating chronic diseases by reducing dosing frequency and enhancing drug efficacy due to targeted delivery. In the present study, an IDDS was developed from electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber membranes. The implant core consists of a drug‐loaded CA nanofiber (CA + Vit.D3) enclosed in a rate limiting of the PCL membrane (CA + Vit.D3/PCL). The CA and PCL nanofibrous membranes were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. This research also investigated in‐vitro cytotoxicity and whether the PCL membrane prolonged drug delivery or led to enhanced mechanical properties. A smooth, beadless surface morphology was observed with fiber diameters of 325 ± 101 nm and 333 ± 79 nm for CA and PCL, respectively. In‐vitro drug release and tensile testing showed that surrounding the core's implants with a PCL membrane improved mechanical properties and kinetic drug release. The modulus and tensile strength of CA + Vit.D3/PCL were 161 ± 14 and 13.07 ± 2.5 MPa, respectively—these values were significantly higher than those obtained for CA + Vit.D3 (132 ± 52 MPa and 8.16 ± 2.36 MPa, respectively). The drug release pattern exhibited by CA + Vit.D3 was burst release, which fits the first‐order kinetic model. In contrast, CA + Vit.D3/PCL exhibited slow drug release, which fits the zero‐order kinetic model. In conclusion, based on the outcomes and facility of the technologies outlined in this article, electrospun CA and PCL nanofibers are suitable for developing long‐term IDDSs.
Alginate is an interesting natural biopolymer to be considered for biomedical applications due to its advantages and good biological properties. These biological properties make electrospun alginate nanofibers suitable for various uses in the biomedical field, such as wound healing dressings, drug delivery systems, or both. Unfortunately, the fabrication of alginate nanofibers by electrospinning is very challenging because of the high viscosity of the solution, high surface tension and rigidity in water due to hydrogen bonding, and also their diaxial linkages. This review presents an overview of the factors affecting the electrospinning process of sodium alginate/poly(ethylene oxide) (SA/PEO), the application of SA/PEO in drug delivery systems for wound healing applications, and the degradation and swelling properties of SA/PEO. The challenges and future directions of SA/PEO in the medical field are also discussed.
Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic systemic disorder characterised by hyperglycaemia as a standard feature. A traditional plant known as Abrus precatorius (AP) has been used for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus in Malaysia. The potential of the 80% methanol leaves extract of A. precatorius has been tested for its α-glucosidase inhibition using α-glucosidase inhibitory assay and glucose diffusion activity using an in vitro model. It was observed that the methanol leaves extract of A. precatorius exhibited a high α-glucosidase inhibition at the concentrations of 25 and 50 mg/mL (65.4% and 84.6%), respectively, but low inhibition at the concentration of 6.25 to 12.5 mg/mL (25% and 28.2%) when compared to control. And it slightly affected the glucose diffusion at the concentration of 50 mg/mL (9.5%) within 24 h compared to the control group. These indicated that the methanol leaves extract of A. precatorius is capable of inhibiting α-glucosidase activity, besides halting glucose diffusion activity by delaying the glucose absorption in the gut.
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