Fabrication of tolmetin/cyclodextrin nanofibers for potential wound healing applications: Physicochemical, in vitro characterization, and scratch assay.

The biocompatibility and sustained delivery of bioactive materials are crucial for maximum therapeutic benefits in the medical field. In this study, high-porous biocompatible nanofibers (NFs) were fabricated from inclusion complexes (ICs) of tolmetin (TMN) with 2-hydroxypropyl and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD) using an electrospinning method for sustained drug delivery at the wound site. The TMN-CD-IC-NFs were uniform, bead-free fibers with average diameters of 350 ± 55 nm and 225 ± 40 nm, exhibiting improved thermal properties (degradation temperatures of 317.0 °C and 329.2 °C) compared with pristine TMN. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed an amorphous distribution of TMN within the TMN-CD-IC-NFs. Fourier transform infrared and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analyses confirmed that the phenyl ring of TMN was deeply penetrated and strongly interacted with the atoms inside the CD cavities. Sustained TMN release was observed from TMN-CD-IC-NFs compared to the pure drug. The TMN-CD-IC-NFs had no adverse effects on skin fibroblast cells (NIH/3T3), demonstrating good biocompatibility. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated strong interactions between inflammation-responsible enzyme 6-COX and TMN-CD-ICs. Cultured cells treated with TMN-CD-IC-NFs were well proliferated towards the scratched area and the wound closure rate was higher (80-90%) compared to the control. Thus, fabricated TMN-CD-IC-NFs have potential as sustained drug nanocarriers for wound treatment.