Core‐Sheath‐Like Poly(Ethylene Oxide)/Beeswax Composite Fibers Prepared by Single‐Spinneret Electrospinning. Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antitumor Activities

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Abstract
Composite fibrous materials are prepared from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and beeswax (BW) by single‐spinneret electrospinning using chloroform as a common solvent. The obtained fibers have core‐sheath‐like structure, as evidenced by the water contact angle values and corroborated by the results on the elemental composition of the fiber's surface determined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and by analyses with scanning electron microscopy of fibers before and after selective extraction of PEO or BW. Furthermore, the core‐sheath‐like structure is proven by transmission electron microscopy. This is attributed to self‐assembly of BW molecules on the surface of the formed fibers driven by the incompatibility between PEO and BW. 5‐Nitro‐8‐hydroxyquinoline (NQ) is embedded as a model drug with antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer properties in the PEO/BW fibrous materials. XPS analyses reveal that NQ is present on the surface of the PEO/BW/NQ materials. Using a purposely designed cell for fixation of the fibrous materials the NQ release in phosphate buffer solution with рН 7.4 is followed. The new PEO/BW/NQ fibrous materials exhibit antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, antifungal effect against C. albicans, and selective anticancer activity against HeLa (human cervical adenocarcinoma cells) and SH‐4 (human melanoma cells) cell lines.
Funding Information
  • Bulgarian National Science Fund (КP‐06‐N39/13/2019)

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