In this study, electrospinning of nanofibers from alpha-lipoic
acid/cyclodextrin inclusion complex systems was successfully performed
without having any polymeric matrix. Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA)
is a natural antioxidant compound which is widely used as a food supplement.
However, it has limited water solubility and poor thermal and oxidative
stability. Nevertheless, it is possible to enhance its water solubility
and thermal stability by inclusion complexation with cyclodextrins.
Here, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) and hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin
(HP-γ-CyD) were chosen as host molecules for forming inclusion
complexation with α-LA. Accordingly, α-LA was inclusion
complexed with HP-β-CyD and HP-γ-CyD by using very high
concentrated aqueous solutions of CyD (200%, w/v) having 1/1 and 2/1
molar ratio of α-LA/CyD. Except α-LA/HP-β-CyD (1/1)
solution, other α-LA/CyD solutions were turbid indicating the
presence of some noncomplexed α-LA whereas α-LA/HP-β-CyD
(1/1) solution was very homogeneous signifying that α-LA was
fully complexed with HP-β-CyD. Even so, electrospinning was
performed for all of the α-LA/HP-β-CyD (1/1 and 2/1) and
α-LA/HP-γ-CyD (1/1 and 2/1) aqueous solutions, and defect-free
bead-less and uniform nanofibers were successfully obtained for all
of the α-LA/CyD solutions. However, the electrospinning process
for α-LA/CyD (1/1) systems was much more efficient than the
α-LA/CyD (2/1) systems, and we were able to produce self-standing
and flexible nanofibrous webs from α-LA/CyD (1/1) systems. α-LA
was efficiently preserved during the electrospinning process of α-LA/CyD
(1/1) systems and the resulting electrospun α-LA/HP-β-CyD
and α-LA/HP-γ-CyD nanofibers were produced with the molar
ratios of ∼1/1 and ∼0.85/1 (α-LA/CyD), respectively.
The better encapsulation efficiency of α-LA in α-LA/HP-β-CyD
nanofibers was due to higher solubility increase and higher binding
strength between α-LA and HP-β-CyD as revealed by the
phase solubility test. α-LA was in the amorphous state in α-LA/CyD
nanofibers and both α-LA/HP-β-CyD and α-LA/HP-γ-CyD
nanofibers were dissolved very quickly in water and also when they
wetted with artificial saliva. Additionally, the antioxidant activity
of pure α-LA and α-LA/CyD nanofibers was comparatively
evaluated using ABTS radical cation assay. α-LA/CyD nanofibers
have shown significantly higher antioxidant performance compared to
pure α-LA owing to improved water solubility by CyD inclusion
complexation. The thermal stability enhancement of α-LA in α-LA/CyD
nanofibers was achieved compared to pure α-LA under heat treatment
(100 °C for 24 h). These promising results support that antioxidant
α-LA/CyD nanofibers may have potential applications as orally
fast-dissolving food supplements.