Fabrication, Optimization, and Characterization of Antibacterial Electrospun Shellac Fibers Loaded with Kaempferia parviflora Extract

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a Kaempferia parviflora (KP) extract based on electrospun shellac fibers capable of transporting methoxyflavones. This study used a Box–Behnken design to determine the optimal production parameters that influence the fiber diameter and bead-to-fiber ratio responses. The optimization step produced fibers with a small diameter (574 nm) and a lower bead-to-fiber ratio (0.48 beads per fiber) by combining 37.25% w/w shellac and 1.50% w/w KP extract with a solution feed rate of 0.8 mL/h and an electrical voltage of 18 kV. The KP extract was found to be dispersed throughout the electrospun shellac fibers during the characterization study. The results were highly correlated with the theoretical values, indicating that the regression models used to predict the response variables were adequate. A study of in vitro dissolution confirmed that KP extract-loaded electrospun shellac fibers could produce a sustained-release profile within 10 h. Additionally, KP-infused shellac fibers demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. This KP loading method combined with shellac properties provided a new delivery system and could be used to explore novel biomedical materials.