carboxymethyl chitosan nano-fibers for controlled releasing 5-fluorouracil anticancer drug

In the present study, the ph responsive electrospun carboxymethyl chitosan nanofibers were prepared via electrospinning method and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde vapor for various times up to 48 h. the controlled release of 5-fluorouracil (5-fu) from single layer and tri-layered nanofibers (5-fu in the middle layer) was compared to obtain a sustained delivery system of 5-fu anticancer drug. the release of 5-fu from nanofibers was investigated at 37 °c under acidic ph (ph 5.5) and physiological ph (ph 7.4). the release data were fitted by zero-order, higuchi and korsmeyer-peppas pharmacokinetic equations to determine the 5-fu release mechanism from nanofibers. tri-layered nanofibers exhibited the sustained delivery of 5-fu without initial burst release during 168 and 216 h at ph=5.5 and 7.4, respectively. the initial burst release followed by sustained release of 5-fu from single layer cross-linked carboxymethyl chitosan nanofibers occurred during 48 and 60 h. the “n” constant of korsmeyer-peppas equation indicated the non fickian diffusion of 5-fu from single layer nanofibers at both ph values of 5.5, ph 7.4 and tri-layered nanofibers at ph 5.5. whereas, the fickian diffusion of 5-fu was occurred from tri-layered nanofibers at ph 7.4. the obtained results indicated the high capability of tri-layered nanofibers for controlled release of 5-fu compared to single layer nanofibers