Drug-loaded ultrafine poly(vinyl alcohol) fibre mats prepared by electrospinning

Submicron poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibre mats embedded with Aspirin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared by electrospinning of their aqueous solutions. Fibre morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The composition of the fibre mats was characterized by Fourier transform I R spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The in vitro drug release was investigated by immersing the fibre mats in phosphate buffer solution at 37 degrees C. Results indicated that the morphology of fibre mats was influenced by the amount of drug, and more beaded and irregularly shaped fibres were found with increasing drug amounts. There were drug molecules distributed on the surface of the PVA fibres. Studies of in vitro drug release showed that both Aspirin and BSA were released more quickly from PVA fibre mats than from PVA films because of the large surface area and high porosity of the fibre mats.