Quercetin-gold nanorods incorporated into nanofibers: development, optimization and cytotoxicity

Herein, a polymeric nanofiber scaffold loaded with Quercetin (Quer)-gold nanorods (GNR) was developed and characterized. Several parameters related to loading Quer into GNR, incorporating the GNR-Quer into polymeric solutions, and fabricating the nanofibers by electrospinning were optimized. GNR-Quer loaded into a polymeric mixture of poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) (21%) and poloxamer 407 (23%) has produced intact GNR-Quer-nanofibers with enhanced physical and mechanical properties. GNR-Quer-nanofibers demonstrated a slow pattern of Quer release over time compared to nanofibers free of GNR-Quer. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) revealed enhanced uniformity and homogeneity of the GNR-Quer-nanofibers. GNR-Quer-nanofibers demonstrated a high ability to retain water upon incubation in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) for 24 h compared to nanofibers free of GNR-Quer. A cellular toxicity study indicated that the average cellular viability of human dermal fibroblasts was 76% after 24 h of exposure to the nanofibers containing a low concentration of GNR-Quer. Incorporating GNR-Quer into a mixture of 21% PLGA LMWT and 23% poloxamer 407 produced smooth, intact and uniform electrospun nanofibers with enhanced mechanical properties and hydration potential.