MECHANICAL STUDIES ON NANO BIOACTIVE GLASS EMBEDDED GELATIN-PECTIN NANOFIBERS

Abstract

Ultrafine fibers and fibrous mats are produced by electrospinning of aqueous solution of Gelatin and Pectin. The process used in this method avoids the use of synthetic polymer or non aqueous solution for making the fibers by using the natural polymers. Pectin is polyelectrolyte in nature that’s why the electrospinning of pectin was not possible. Earlier the blends of pectin and poly (ethyleneoxide) (PEO) were for electrospinning for making ultrafine pectin fibers. The main aim of my investigation is to search for the alternatives of the PEO for electrospinning of proteins and polysaccharides. On performing electrospinning by using only pectin electro spraying occurs, no fiber formation takes place. So there is need of some carrier polymers so that jet formation of pectin starts. So in the process of making the pectin fibers gelatin with formic acid is used as a carrier polymer. Then bioactive glass solution is used in the aqueous solution of gelatin and pectin. The parameters of electrospinning are optimized so that formation of fibers takes place. When all the parameters are optimized then drug, vitamin-D precursor has been loaded and its release is performed in PBS. The various characterization of the fibers are done like SEM, FTIR, TGA, tensile testing for mechanical properties. The SEM results shows the fiber structure of pectin, gelatin, gelatin-pectin, gelatin-pectin-BG which shows that nanofibers are formed. The tensile strength increases when pectin is added and further increases when BG is added. FTIR shows the peaks of various functional groups present in the fiber.