Open Access Conference Proceedings

Polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyl(actic acid) (PLA) are biocompatible and biodegradable polymers widely used in biomedical applications. This study explores the fabrication and antifungal efficacy of electrospun nanofiber blends of PCL/PLA incorporated with clotrimazole, an imidazole-based antifungal agent, targeting Candida albicans. Nanofibers were produced by needless electrospinning with different clotrimazole concentrations. Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy confirmed smooth fiber formation with diameters affected by the clotrimazole content. In vitro antifungal assays were conducted using Candida albicans, assessing fungal growth inhibition through zone of inhibition tests and the effect on growth curve by nanofiber eluate. Results demonstrated that clotrimazole-loaded PCL/PLA nanofibers significantly inhibited Candida albicans growth compared to unloaded controls, with the most pronounced effect observed in nanofiber mats containing the highest dose of clotrimazole (~ 40 µg/ mg). Cytotoxicity assay confirmed biocompatibility of the nanofiber mats to human vaginal keratinocytes. This study highlights the potential of clotrimazole-loaded PCL/PLA nanofibers as a promising platform for localized antifungal therapy, particularly in treating vaginal candidiasis.

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