In vitro degradation and drug-release behavior of electrospun, fibrous webs of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)

Ultrafine fibrous webs of poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) containing the bactericidal antibiotic drug rifampin were prepared by electrospinning, and their properties were investigated for wound-dressing applications. Because PLGA is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, it is one of the best materials for the preparation of wound-dressing substrates. Through this investigation of PLGA/rifampin electrospun webs, we found that the in vitro degradation reached approximately 60% in 10 days, and the drug release from the webs showed a fast and constant profile suitable for wound-dressing applications. Also, we observed that both the web-degradation rate and the drug-release rate increased as the drug concentration in the PLGA/rifampin electrospun webs and the content level of glycolide units in the PLGA polymer matrix increased. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012