Drugs against bacteria and abnormal cells, such as antibiotics and anticancer drugs, may save human lives. However, drug resistance is becoming more common in the clinical world. Nowadays, a synergistic action of multiple bioactive compounds and their combination with smart nanoplatforms has been considered an alternative therapeutic strategy to fight drug resistance in multidrug-resistant cancers and microorganisms. The present study reports a one-step fabrication of innovative pH-responsive Janus nanofibers loaded with two active compounds, each in separate polymer compartments for synergistic combination therapy. By dissolving one of the compartments from the nanofibers, we could clearly demonstrate a highly yielded anisotropic Janus structure with two faces by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. To better understand the distinctive attributes of Janus nanofibers, several analytical methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, and contact angle goniometry, were utilized to examine and compare them to those of monolithic nanofibers. Furthermore, a drug release test was conducted in pH 7.4 and 6.0 media since the properties of Janus nanofibers correlate significantly with different environmental pH levels. This resulted in the on-demand sequential codelivery of octenidine (OCT) and curcumin (CUR) to the corresponding pH stimulus. Accordingly, the antibacterial properties of Janus fibers against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, tested in a suspension test, were pH-dependent, i.e., greater in pH 6 due to the synergistic action of two active compounds, and Eudragit E100 (EE), and highly satisfactory. The biocompatibility of the Janus fibers was confirmed in selected tests.
Keywords: Janus nanofiber; antibacterial activity; dual-drug; on-demand release; side-by-side electrospinning.