Preparation and characterization of multiactive electrospun fibers: Poly-ε-carpolactone fibers loaded with hydroxyapatite and selected NSAIDs

Electrospun poly-ε-caprolactone fibers were employed as hosts for hydroxypatite and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen (IBU) and indomethacin (INDO) (separately). The fibers (size range between 400 and 20 µm) were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The physicochemical characterization of the fibers indicated that the drugs are associated with the fibers in an amorphous state. The release of IBU and INDO was monitored in PBS pH 7.4. A rapid release was observed for both drugs. Finally, bioactivity studies in simulated body fluid revealed the formation of hydroxyapatite, indicating that the fibers could be further utilized as materials for coupled (or multipurpose) biomedical and biomaterial engineering applications.