The kinetics and release behaviour of curcumin loaded pH-responsive PLGA/chitosan fibers with antitumor activity against HT-29 cells.

The bioavailability and clinical effect of curcumin (Cur) are greatly restricted due to its physicochemical instability and high hydrophobicity. To overcome the disadvantages, the nanofibers of poly(lactide-glycolide)/chitosan loaded with Cur (PLGA/CS/Cur) was developed here by electrospinning technique for controlled Cur delivery. The incorporated Cur was well-dispersed and maintained crystalline form in PLGA/CS fiber matrix by hydrogen bonding. The incorporation of Cur had no obvious influence on the fiber size and morphology but exerted impacts on thermal stability. At pH 7.4, the release followed Fickian diffusion mechanism; while at pH 2.0, the release followed the coexistence of diffusion and erosion mechanisms. In addition, the amount of Cur released at pH 2.0 was much higher than that at pH 7.4. As a result, the nanofibers demonstrated higher anticancer activity at acidic environment. Therefore, the PLGA/CS/Cur nanofibers may be served as a potential pH responsive vehicle for the controlled drug delivery.