Electrospun zein/eudragit nanofibers based dual drug delivery system for the simultaneous delivery of aceclofenac and pantoprazole

Electrospun composite zein/eudragit nanofibers were developed with an aim to deliver two different classes of drugs simultaneously that would restrict/compensate the adverse effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Co-administration of proton pump inhibitors is beneficial for patients consuming NSAIDs for treating chronic ailments like arthritis. In this study, aceclofenac/pantoprazole loaded zein/eudragit S 100 nanofibers were developed using a single nozzle electrospinning process. The morphological analysis revealed the uniform and smooth surface of the drug loaded nanofibers. The physico-thermal characterization of nanofibers depicted the molecular integration of the drugs with the polymers and also confirmed that the drugs were evenly distributed in the nanofibers in an amorphous state. In vitro release studies ensure the efficiency of the developed fibers in sustaining the release of both the drugs up to 8 h. In vivo animal experiments further confirmed that the co-administration of pantoprazole along with aceclofenac reduced the gastro-intestinal toxicity induced by NSAIDs. The histological evaluation revealed the preserved mucosal architecture of rat gastric tissue treated with drug loaded composite nanofibers. Thus, dual drug delivery system comprising polymers with different release characteristics has been successfully developed and further, oral delivery of aceclofenac with reduced side effects was achieved. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.