Fast and convenient delivery of fluidextracts liquorice through electrospun core-shell nanohybrids

Hang Liu; Yelin Dai; Jia Li; Ping Liu; Wenhui Zhou; Deng-Guang Yu; Ruiliang Ge

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1172133

Fast and convenient delivery of fluidextracts liquorice through electrospun core-shell nanohybrids

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Apr 6:11:1172133. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1172133. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hang Liu¹, Yelin Dai^{2

3}, Jia Li⁴, Ping Liu^{5

6}, Wenhui Zhou¹, Deng-Guang Yu¹, Ruiliang Ge⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
² Wenqi Middle School, Shanghai, China.
³ Qingpu Campus, High School Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁵ 5 The Base of Achievement Transformation, Shidong Hospital Affiliated to University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
⁶ Institute of Orthopaedic Basic and Clinical Transformation, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
⁷ Department of Outpatient, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Introduction: As an interdisciplinary field, drug delivery relies on the developments of modern science and technology. Correspondingly, how to upgrade the traditional dosage forms for a more efficacious, safer, and convenient drug delivery poses a continuous challenge to researchers. Methods, results and discussion: In this study, a proof-of-concept demonstration was conducted to convert a popular traditional liquid dosage form (a commercial oral compound solution prepared from an intermediate licorice fluidextract) into a solid dosage form. The oral commercial solution was successfully encapsulated into the core-shell nanohybrids, and the ethanol in the oral solution was removed. The SEM and TEM evaluations showed that the prepared nanofibers had linear morphologies without any discerned spindles or beads and an obvious core-shell nanostructure. The FTIR and XRD results verified that the active ingredients in the commercial solution were compatible with the polymeric matrices and were presented in the core section in an amorphous state. Three different types of methods were developed, and the fast dissolution of the electrospun core-shell nanofibers was verified. Conclusion: Coaxial electrospinning can act as a nano pharmaceutical technique to upgrade the traditional oral solution into fast-dissolving solid drug delivery films to retain the advantages of the liquid dosage forms and the solid dosage forms.

Keywords: coaxial electrospinning; core–shell structure; dosage forms; liquorice; process–structure–performance relationship; solidification.

Grants and funding

This study is financially supported by the Medical Engineering Cross Project between University of Shanghai for Science & Technology and Naval Medical University (No. 2020-RZ05), Shanghai Natural Science Foundation (No. 20ZR1439000 and 21ZR1459500), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81874034), Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning Foundation of Shanghai (No. 202140413), Medical Health Science and Technology Innovation Plan of Jinan (No.201805038, 201907085 and 202019182), Science and technology innovation project of Medical staff in Shandong province, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No.ZR2020QH264), the Key Research and Development project of Shandong Province (No. 2019GSF108002).