Electrospun 5-fluorouracil loaded bovine serum albumin-polyvinylpyrrolidone nanofibers

5-FU loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers prepared using an electrospinning process. The nanofibers were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Nuclear magnetic resonance was used to confinn that the drug was not substantially degraded by the electrospinning process. SEM images showed that the fibers formed were cylindrical in shape with smooth surfaces. FTIR indicated that BSA and 5-FU are well distributed in the fiber, forming significant numbers of H-bonds with the carrier PVP polymer. The XRD results demonstrated that BSA and 5-FU were distributed in the fiber matrix in an amorphous state. In-vitro dissolution tests showed that the fiber mats released the drug within 10 s through a polymer-controlled mechanism, leading to a significant decrease in dissolution time over the pure drug. This enhanced dissolution property suggests that the 5-FU loaded BSA/PVP fibers have potential in fast-dissolving drug delivery systems.