Fabrication of electrospun nanofibers of flurbiprofen-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes for anti-inflammatory assessment in skin fibroblast cell line.

In this study, electrospinning successfully produced nanofibers (NFs) of the anti-inflammatory drug flurbiprofen (FP) with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) in a 1:1 M ratio, exhibiting average fiber diameters of 399 ± 90 nm and 710 ± 105 nm, respectively. The formation of stable ICs was investigated using spectroscopic and theoretical studies. Solution-state ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed significant spectral changes of FP, with binding constants (973 ± 5-1875 ± 4 M-1) indicating moderate affinity towards cyclodextrins (CDs). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed distinct spectral changes in FP-CD-IC-NFs, with shifted and weakened carbonyl peaks indicating the insertion of the fluorophenyl ring into the CD cavities. Pronounced upfield shifts of fluorophenyl and acetic acid protons in the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra validated the fluorophenyl ring insertion and stable IC formations in FP-CD-IC-NFs. TG-DTA analysis revealed that FP-CD-IC-NFs enhanced FP's thermal stability, increasing its decomposition temperature. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the IC process with the inclusion of FP's fluorophenyl ring into the CD cavities is energetically favored, with hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions being key driving forces for the formation of stable ICs. In vitro release studies demonstrated rapid and efficient delivery of active drugs from FP-CD-IC-NFs, achieving complete release within 30 min. The FP-CD-IC-NFs demonstrated excellent biocompatibility on CCD-986Sk skin fibroblasts, with cell viability reaching nearly 100% as confirmed by the MTT assay. Therefore, the non-toxic and biocompatible nature of FP-HPβCD-IC-NF and FP-MβCD-IC-NF highlights their potential for use in wound dressing and wound healing applications.