Nanofibers prepared by electrospinning process with high specific surface area, high porosity and interconnected pores are good candidates for drug delivery systems. In the present study, the acrylated polyurethane/nanohydroxyapatite (APU/nHAp) nanocomposite nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning method for controlled release of paclitaxel (PTX). Poly(ε-caprolactone) diol (PCL), aliphatic 1,6- hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and hydroxyethyl methyl acrylate (HEMA) were used for synthesis of APU. The APU/n-HAp nanocomposite fibers were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling and mechanical tests. The increase in mechanical properties was achieved by incorporating of n-HAp nanoparticles up to 5% into the APU. The swelling behavior results indicated that the hydrophilicity of APU/n-HAp nanocomposite fibers and water uptake were increased by increasing nHAp content. The initial burst release and following the sustained release of paclitaxel from nanofibers was obtained during 120 h. The obtained results suggested that the APU/n-HAp 5% nanocomposite nanofiber could be considered for delivery of anticancer drugs.
