Oxymatrine Loaded Crosslinked PVA Nanofibrous Scaffold: Design and Characterization and Anticancer Properties.

This study focuses on the fabrication, characterization and anticancer properties of biocompatible and biodegradable composite nanofibers consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), oxymatrine (OM), and citric acid (CA) using a facile and high-yield centrifugal spinning process known as Forcespinning ® . The effects of varying concentrations of OM and CA on fiber diameter and molecular crosslinking were investigated. The morphological and thermo-physical properties, as well as water absorption of the developed nanofiber-based mats were characterized using microscopical analysis, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. In vitro anti cancer studies were conducted with HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. Results show a high yield of long fibers embedded with beads. Fiber average diameters ranged between 462 and 528 nm depending on OM concentration. The thermal analysis results show that the fibers are stable in room temperature. The anticancer study revealed that PVA nanofiber membrane with high concentrations of OM can suppress the proliferation of HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. The study provides a comprehensive investigation of OM embedded into nanosized PVA fibers and the prospective application of these membranes as a drug delivery system. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.