Spatially Compartmentalized Electrospun/Electrosprayed PHB/PEO/Zein Fibrous Platforms for Dual Delivery of Rutin and...

Spatially separated dual-bioactive delivery platform from electrospun polyhydroxybutyrate/poly(ethylene oxide) fibers loaded with rutin (PHB/PEO/RUT) and decorated with zein/Melissa officinalis particles (zein/MO) were obtained by simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying. The morphology of the materials, their thermal properties and chemical composition were systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The incorporation of PEO into the fabricated fibrous materials enhanced their wettability. It was demonstrated that the newly developed materials had high encapsulation efficiency (99.8 ± 0.1%) of RUT and/or MO. The architecture of the materials affected the in vitro release profile of the bioactive agents. RUT exerted its DPPH^• scavenging capacity upon incorporation into the fibers. An increase in antioxidant activity was observed in the fibrous mats loaded with both RUT and MO. Moreover, the developed materials decreased the viability of SH-4 melanoma cells to a greater extent than that of non-cancerous HaCaT keratinocytes. The combined rapid release and sustained release of bioactive agents and the antioxidant and anticancer activity of the newly developed materials render them promising candidates as platforms for local drug delivery.