Fast-dissolving electrospun gelatin nanofibers encapsulating ciprofloxacin/cyclodextrin inclusion complex

Electrospun gelatin nanofibrous matrix encapsulating ciprofioxacin (CIP)/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP beta CD)-inclusion complex (IC) was produced via electrospinning method. Computational modeling indicated that van der Waals forces are the most significant driving forces for the complexation and hydrophobic moiety (piperazinyl) of CIP, which was included in the cavity of HP beta CD. The FTIR and XRD studies indicated the formation of CIP/HP beta CD host/guest complexation, FTIR also suggested that hydrophobic moiety of CIP is in the HP beta CD cavity in parallel with the computational modeling results. The phase solubility diagram demonstrated that the solubility of CIP was enhanced after complexation with HP beta CD. SEM images showed that electrospun gelatin nanofibers encapsulating CIP/HP beta CD-IC have bead-free morphology with a diameter of (similar to)90 nm. The gelatin nanofibrous mat loaded with CIP/HP beta CD-IC has exhibited fast-dissolving character in water compared to gelatin/CIP nanofibrous mat due to the enhanced wettability of the nanofibrous mat by HP beta CD and improvement achieved in the solubility of CIP.