Gravity spun polycaprolactone fibres: controlling release of a hydrophilic macromolecule (ovalbumin) and a lipophilic drug (progesterone)

A hydrophilic macromolecule (ovalbumin (OVA)) and a lipophilic drug (progesterone) were incorporated in polycaprolactone (PCL) fibres by gravity spinning using particulate dispersions and co-solutions of PCL and steroid, respectively. PCL fibres loaded with 1% (w/w) OVA powder displayed a pronounced burst release phase (60% of the protein load) over 2 days in PBS at 37°C. The release profile then tended to plateau. In contrast, OVA nanoparticle-loaded fibres exhibited delayed protein release initially and then a major increase at day 14. This behaviour may be useful for sequential release of polypeptide growth factors which are influential at specific time points in the wound healing process. SDS–PAGE analysis revealed that the protein molecular weight was conserved during fibre spinning. The amount of progesterone release from PCL fibres in PBS increased with drug loading but the cumulative release profiles (% w/w) were little affected by the initial drug loading of the fibres (1.5 and 3.5% w/w) or the concentration of the PCL spinning solution (12.5 and 20% w/v). Steroid delivery was rapid due to the high fibre surface area and high permeability of PCL resulting in complete drug loss over 24h. Released progesterone inhibited the growth of MCF-7 breast epithelial cells in culture, demonstrating retention of bioactivity. Gravity spinning shows potential for producing PCL fibre-based platforms for programmed delivery of bioactive molecules of utility for tissue engineering and drug delivery.