Objectives: Electrospinning employs a high voltage passed through a polymer solution or melt to create a fiber mesh whose fiber diameter are measured in nanoscale (approximately 100-500 nm). The electrospun fibers have many applications including wound care, drug delivery and tissue engineering. This study utilized melt electrospinning to incorporate antibiotics into polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers. The resulting antibiotic loaded fibers were then tested for antimicrobial activity. Methods: Polycaprolactone (PCL) was first mixed with 2% of the desired (gentamycin, vancomycin or cefazolin) polymer and was molded into a 1.5 mm cylindrical stick. The polymer stick was then loaded into a custom melt electrospin device. Polycaprolactone nanofibers were then melt electrospun at 120o C, 10 cm distance and 20 kv. The electrospun fibers containing the desired antibiotics were then placed on an agar plate containing LB agar inoculated with E-coli to determine their antimicrobial capability using a Kirby-Bauer test. Results: We were able to electrospin polycaprolactone nanofibers using all the three different antibiotics (cefazolin, gentamycin, vancomycin). The agar plates demonstrated significant inhibition of bacterial growth. Discussion: Melt electrospinning is a relatively new polymer processing technology that avoids the use of solvents. In this study, we were able to melt electrospin antibiotic loaded PCL nano fibers that retained antimicrobial activity. These fibers have the potential to be used as sutures. Even though polycaprolactone fibers are considered biocompatible, additional studies are required to determine the biocompatibility of antibiotic containing nanofibers.

Preparation of antibiotic eluting polycaprolactone nanofibers using melt electrospinning

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ACS Fall 2022

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