Controlled release of a hydrophilic drug from electrospun amyloid-like protein blend nanofibers

In this study, a controlled drug release platform, amyloid-like bovine serum albumin (AL-BSA) with ampicillin sodium salt (amp), was developed. To develop this platform, 5%, 10%, and 20% (w/w) ratios of amp:BSA were used with electrospinning to prepare nanofibers with average diameters of 132 +/- 69, 159 +/- 60, and 179 +/- 42 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that AL-BSA could entrap large amounts of drug inside the nanofibers, which was attributed to the antimicrobial activity of the released drug against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The amount of drug released was measured by UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The nanofibrous matrix of the electrospun membrane showed controlled release behavior in all samples. The transport mechanism was Fickian for the low ratio of amp:BSA (5% w:w). When the drug ratio was increased to > 10% (w:w), thicker fiber structures formed, suggesting that the drug traveled a longer distance to reach the fiber surface; thus, the mechanism of transport shifted from Fickian to non-Fickian.