Fabrication and Characterization of Antibacterial Biodegradable Polymeric Nanofibers of Polyvinyl Alcohol loaded with Levofloxacin for External Skin Infection

Abstract

Electrospun nanofibrous membranes have gained great focus in medical research due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Research proposed that it is most advanced method of delivering drug to patient’s body at a particular site of infection. Through this targeted delivery, there is increased rate of delivered drug to an infected body part; it may be organs, tissues or cells. As result, the action of recovery of infection is enhanced without causing any side effects. During present study sustainable electrospun nanofibers were fabricated via biodegradable synthetic polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) loaded with antibiotic (Levofloxacin). Control (PVA) and antibiotic loaded (PVA/LVF) nanofibers were synthesized through simple electrospinning. Synthesized materials were characterized through scanned electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology that showed average fiber diameter size of 146.24±44.024 µm and 184.79±41.94 µm respectively. While for chemical characterization FTIR was carried out. Further antibacterial susceptibility was checked against Escherichia coli for different time period of incubation and maximum zone of inhibition was observed at 72 hours that was 29±0.25 mm as compared to 24 h and 48 h. While release rate of drug in artificial medium phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was measured by spectrophotometric method up to 72 hours. In the medium at initial stage nano fibers showed burst release of drug up to 24 hour, later on sustain release behavior was observed up to 72 h. From the findings it was suggested that synthesized material especially used in the synthesis of gauze for external skin infections, it could also be used in the synthesis of sutures, wound patches bandages and other biomedical applications.