Preparation and Characterization of the Electrospun Nanofibers Loaded with Clarithromycin

Electrospinning was applied to prepare the drug-loaded nanofibers for potential use in drug delivery and wound healing. Clarithromycin (CLM) was selected as the model drug, whereas poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was used as the biodegradable and biocompatible polymer carrier. The low toxicity solvents were tested, and the morphology and structures of the nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). PLLA and its composite of CLM were electrospun using the solvents of dichloromethane and acetone. SEM images showed that the diameters of the electrospun PLLA fibers were about 1000 nm, decreased to about 400 nm when 5 wt % CLM was loaded. With the increase of the amount the drug loaded, the diameters of the fibers gradually decreased and their distributions varied. The drug aggregates of any kind were not observed on the surfaces of the fibers. FTIR spectra revealed that CLM was incorporated into the macromolecular carrier of PLLA by formation of the hydrogen bonds but no new functional groups in the structure of the composite nanofibers were formed. XRD patterns indicated that the drug distributed in the composite nanofibers existed in the noncrystalline form. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 346-352, 2010