Casting hydrophilic polymers blended polycaprolactone membranes for drug delivery to eradicate the cancer cells and pathogenic microorganisms

Abstract

Hydrophilic polymers have been recognized for enhancing the physico-chemical and biological properties of synthetic polyesters in the field of cancer treatment and tissue engineering. In this article, the anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil loaded membranes were prepared with polycaprolactone blended with chitosan, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and polyethylene glycol to study the drug release ability for breast cancer treatment alongside microbial infections. Solution casting method was employed to fabricate blend membranes with a combination of synthetic, natural and hydrophilic polymers and the resulted membranes were characterized by spectral, crystallographic, surface morphology, contact angle measurements and mechanical testing. Through spectral and crystallographic study, the crosslinking and chemical interactions between the drug and polymers were confirmed. Swelling capacity, drug loading efficiency and the drug release profile were studied and an optimal release of drug from the membranes was observed. The membranes showed cell viability of 60%–85% against fibroblast cell line and cytotoxicity of 60%–76% against breast cancer cells. Furthermore, microbial growth inhibition assay results revealed that the membranes possess good inhibiting property for the selected bacterial and fungal strains. The in vitro degradation studies reveals that the degradation rate of the blend membranes was found higher compared to the bare membrane. Hence, the obtained results clearly reveals that the fabricated membranes would be a promising biomaterial implant in the treatment of breast cancer cells and post-surgical microbial infections.