Fabrication of carboxymethyl chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone)/doxorubicin/nickel ferrite core-shell fibers for controlled release of doxorubicin against breast cancer.

The coaxial electrospinning for producing core-shell nanofibers due to control the release profile of drug by the shell layer has been developed. N-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC)-polyvinyl alcohol (core)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) (shell) nanofibers were produced via coaxial electrospinning. Doxorubicin (DOX) and nickel ferrite nanoparticles were incorporated into the nanofibers for controlled release of DOX against MCF-7 breast cancer. The minimum CMC/PCL fiber diameter was found to be 300 nm by optimizing of three variables including voltage to distance ratio (1.5-2.5 kV/cm), CMC concentration (4-6 wt.%) and PCL concentration (8-12 wt.%). The synthesized core-shell fibers were characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM analysis. The extended release and controlled release of DOX from core-shell nanofibers were achieved under physiological pH without external magnetic field (EMF) and acidic pH with EMF during 25 and 7 days, respectively. The maximum cytotoxicity of MCF-7 breast cancer cells was about 83 % using CMC/PCL/nickel ferrite 10 % nanofibers and EMF.