A comparison between solvent casting and electrospinning methods for the fabrication of neem extract-containing buccal films

Abstract

In the present study a double layer mucoadhesive buccal film containing nanocarriers encapsulated with neem extract was fabricated through electrospinning and solvent casting techniques for dental therapeutic applications. The morphological, physical and mucoadhesive properties of the resulting electrospun and solvent cast oral films were mutually compared, and their drug release behavior and antibacterial activity were further investigated. Chitosan/poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) as a mucoadhesive component and phenylalanine amino acid nanotubes (PhNTs)-containing neem extract as a drug nanocarrier were used to fabricate oral films. A poly(caprolactone) (PCL) layer was used as an impermeable backing layer to protect the mucoadhesive component from tongue movement and drug loss. The results indicated an interconnected porous and fully filled solid structures for electrospun and solvent cast films, respectively. The physicomechanical parameters of the samples such as pH, weight, thickness, folding endurance and tensile strength were also evaluated. The crosslinked electrospun buccal film indicated better swelling and mucoadhesive properties compared to the solvent cast film. In addition, the drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of the solvent cast film showed lower experimental values than those of electrospun oral film. On the other hand, the electrospun oral film had a well-controlled release of neem extract up to 82% at oral pH, which is best fitted to the Weibull model, and demonstrated the highest antibacterial properties against S. mutans bacteria with high biocompatibility on L929 fibroblast cells. Generally, the synthesized electrospun mucoadhesive film has a better potential for oral therapeutic applications than the solvent cast film.

Development of co‐electrospun membrane composed poly(l‐co‐d,l‐lactic acid) and natural rubber with potential application in dermal dressing

“…The presence of a large number of pores on the structural surface of the electrospun PLDLA fiber can significantly influence the contact angle, making it more hydrophobic 26 . Zhang et al 55 and Shirvan et al 64 point out that the disorganized and porous fibers obtained through electrospinning methods enable the entrapment of air molecules in the empty spaces between the fibers. This phenomenon results in surface tension, preventing water droplets from penetrating the structure, increasing the hydrophobicity behavior of the material.…”

Technological Aspects and Evaluation Methods for Polymer Matrices as Dental Drug Carriers

“…The dried film is then cut into pieces of the desired size and adequately packaged. Finally, the resulting film carrier should not be exposed to ambient conditions for a prolonged period due to its susceptibility to drying, evaporation of the residual solvent and reduced flexibility, as well as to mechanical damage in the form of chipping or micro-cracking [31][32][33]. The quality of the final product prepared by solvent casting is influenced by the properties of the polymers used to prepare the casting compounds, such as molecule structure, transverse dimension, chain length and flexibility.…”

A comparison between solvent casting and electrospinning methods for the fabrication of HPMC fast-dissolving films: investigation of the physicochemical, mechanical and drug release characteristics

“…Solvent-casting films may be prone to brittleness, residual solvent, and non-uniform drug distribution. Electrospinning may be a useful alternative to the solvent-casting method in film fabrication, producing flexible films with a high surface area and high porosity [12]. In the electrospinning process, fine fibers form from a polymer solution or molten polymer by applying an electric field.…”