title: Higher quality quercetin sustained release ethyl cellulose nanofibers fabricated using a spinneret with a Teflon nozzle.
abstract: This study investigates the usage of a spinneret with a Teflon nozzle for fabrication of higher quality drug sustained-release electrospun nanofibers. Ethyl cellulose (EC) and quercetin were used as a filament-forming polymer matrix and an active pharmaceutical ingredient, respectively. The electrospinning was conducted using both a traditional stainless steel spinneret and a spinneret with a Teflon nozzle. Experimental results demonstrated that a Teflon-fluid interface at the spinneret's nozzle provided a better performance for implementing electrospinning than a traditional metal-fluid interface in the following aspects: (1) keeping more electrical energy on the working fluids for an efficacious process; (2) exerting less negative effect on the fluid to draw it back to the tube; and (3) making less possibility of clogging. The resulted nanofibers from the spinneret with a Teflon nozzle exhibited higher quality than those from the traditional spinneret in those: (1) smaller diameter and narrower distribution, 520±70 nm for the former and 750±280 nm for the later, as indicated by the field emission scanning electron microscopic images; and (2) better sustained-release profiles of quercetin from the former than the latter, as demonstrated by the in vitro dissolution tests. The new protocols about usage of Teflon as a spinneret's nozzle and the related knowledge disclosed here should promote the preparation and application of electrospun functional nanofibers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China. Electronic address: zhwang@sxu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhuan-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China. Electronic address: ydg017@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Deng-Guang
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004735:Energy Transfer; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; C013517:ethyl cellulose; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D002482:Cellulose; D011794:Quercetin
keywords: Electrospinning; Nanofibers; Quercetin; Spinneret nozzle; Sustained release; Teflon-fluid interface