Optimisation of Levofloxacin-loaded electrospun fibres for diabetic wound treatment

Foot ulcers are a common and serious diabetes complication, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Chronic diabetic wounds are difficult to treat and often resist conventional therapies. Recently, materials developed through emerging techniques have gained attention for use in wound care and tissue regeneration. This study explores the development of nanofibres through electrospinning to create therapeutic patches for diabetic foot ulcers. Electrospinning allows control over fibres composition, orientation, and diameter, offering advantages such as simplicity and adaptability. Key process parameters, including flow rate, applied voltage, and polymer concentration, were optimized to produce defect-free fibres. The antibiotic levofloxacin was encapsulated in the fibres to assess its controlled release profile. Additionally, blends of chitosan and polycaprolactone (PCL) in various solvent systems were studied to enhance fibre characteristics. The combination leverages the elasticity, mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and versatility of PCL. The resulting composite fibres had an optimal diameter of 400 nm. Drug release analysis showed an initial peak-crucial for antibacterial efficacy-followed by a slower, sustained release phase. This biphasic release is beneficial in preventing infection while supporting prolonged therapeutic action. The findings demonstrate that a carefully designed formulation strategy can optimize fibres performance, making electrospun nanofibers patch a promising tool in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.