Electrospun Biodegradable Nanofiber Mats for Controlled Release of Herbal Medicine

Biodegradable polymer polycaprolactone (PCL; Mw~100,000) fiber mats containing shikonin from the plant Lithospermum erythrorhizon, widely known for its wound healing, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, were prepared via electrospinning method. Incorporation of shikonin in the neat PCL solution did not affect the morphology of the resulting fibers, as both the neat and the shikonin-loaded PCL fibers were smooth. The shikonin release test was followed in PBS solution containing 0.5 vol.% of Tween 80 and 10 vol.% of methanol. The trends of the process of releasing shikonin from the fibers with different drug loadings were similar, and showed a gradual increase in the cumulative release over the 24 h testing period. The obtained results suggested that the use of electrospun fibers as drug carriers could be promising in the future for biomedical applications.