OA02.16. Ayurvedic nanomaterials: Preparation and characterization of ginger loaded polymeric nanofibers for drug delivery applications

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to combine nanotechnology and ayurveda to develop novel ayurvedic nano materials with enhanced functionalities towards betterment of the clinical practices. In this context, we have fabricated ginger loaded polymeric nano fibers. Ginger is an important ayurvedic material because it exhibits a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, anticancer and detoxifying properties. Incorporation of ginger with polymeric materials enables high-performance drug delivery systems. METHOD: Nano fibers are produced by electro spinning method using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and gelatin polymers. Electro spinning is a simple and versatile method for fabrication of nano fibers with high surface to volume ratio. The electro spinning parameters are optimized with respect to flow rate, voltage between the two electrodes, tip collector distance to obtain fine nano fibers without beads. After optimization, ginger loaded nano fibers are fabricated by mixing ginger with polymer before electro spinning. RESULT: The fibers were characterized by various techniques such as optical microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR), UVVis spectroscope, atomic force microscope (AFM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The studies showed uniform and smooth fibers (hollow fibers) loaded with ginger. The average diameter of the nano fibers is in the range of 100 to 600 nm. The UVVis studies showed the release of the drugs with respect to time depending on the morphology of the fiber and medium. CONCLUSION: Ginger loaded nano fibers are successfully fabricated with smooth surface without beads. The ginger release studies demonstrated a slow release of ginger from the nano fibers. The results demonstrate that the ginger loaded nano fiber could be a good candidate to manage various diseases, specifically, rheumatic diseases, joint pains and migraine. This work provides an opportunity to expand the medical benefits of combined nanotechnology and ayurveda.