Optimization, synthesis, and characterization of coaxial electrospun sodium carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-methyl acrylate/poly(ethylene oxide) nanofibers for potential drug-delivery applications

•Nanofibers for drug delivery were synthesized using thermoplastic carboxymethyl cellulose.•Nanofiber mats were fabricated via coaxial electrospinning.•The in vitro sustained drug release of the anti-infection drugs has been investigated.•Drug loaded nanofibers were effective against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria.•The nanofibers were non-toxic. In this study, nanofiber drug carriers were fabricated via coaxial electrospinning, using a new, degradable core–shell nanofiber drug carrier fabricated via coaxial electrospinning. Fabrication of the shell was carried out by graft polymerization of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) with methyl acrylate (TCMC) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was used as a drug model incorporated within the nanofibers as the core, and their performance as a drug carrier scaffold was evaluated. The loading of TCH within PEO nanofibers and the loading of TCH within the TCMC nanofibers were characterized via different techniques. The structure morphology of the obtained nanofibers was viewed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The changes in the polymer structure before and after grafting and confirmation of incorporation of the drug in the fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to predict the optimum conditions for fabrication of the nanofibers. The cell viability of the optimized samples was assessed with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The TCH loaded into the optimized core–shell sample of TCMC 3% (w/v)/PEO 1% (w/v) had a smooth and beadless morphology with a diameter of 86.12nm, slow and sustained drug release, and excellent bactericidal activity against a wide range of bacteria. This shows promise for use as an antibacterial material in such applications as tissue engineering and pharmaceutical science.