Fabrication of tri-layered electrospun polycaprolactone mats with improved sustained drug release profile

Modulation of initial burst and long term release from electrospun fibrous mats can be achieved by sandwiching the drug loaded mats between hydrophobic layers of fibrous polycaprolactone (PCL). Ibuprofen (IBU) loaded PCL fibrous mats (12% PCL-IBU) were sandwiched between fibrous polycaprolactone layers during the process of electrospinning, by varying the polymer concentrations (10% (w/v), 12% (w/v)) and volume of coat (1 ml, 2 ml) in flanking layers. Consequently, 12% PCL-IBU (without sandwich layer) showed burst release of 66.43% on day 1 and cumulative release (%) of 86.08% at the end of 62 days. Whereas, sandwich groups, especially 12% PCLSW-1 & 2 (sandwich layers—1 ml and 2 ml of 12% PCL) showed controlled initial burst and cumulative (%) release compared to 12% PCL-IBU. Moreover, crystallinity (%) and hydrophobicity of the sandwich models imparted control on ibuprofen release from fibrous mats. Further, assay for cytotoxicity and scanning electron microscopic images of cell seeded mats after 5 days showed the mats were not cytotoxic. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopic analysis revealed weak interaction between ibuprofen and PCL in nanofibers which favors the release of ibuprofen. These data imply that concentration and volume of coat in flanking layer imparts tighter control on initial burst and long term release of ibuprofen.