A novel polyhydroxyalkanoate/polyvinyl alcohol composite porous membrane via electrospinning and spin coating as potential application for chemotherapy and tissue engineering

Abstract Polyhydroxyalkanoate/polyvinyl alcohol (PHA/PVA) composite porous membranes were successfully prepared by coupling of electrospinning and spin‐coating. The resulting composite membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), FT‐IR spectrometer, x‐ray diffraction (XRD), contact angle tester and Brunner–Emmet–Teller (BET). It indicated that the PHA/PVA membrane belonged to a mesoporous material, which can be used as a drug delivery carrier for doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). In vitro drug release experiments showed that DOX loaded PHA/PVA composite membranes presented higher DOX release level in acidic environment than that in neutral environment since the degradation rate of the membranes under pH = 4 was significantly higher. And that, the DOX loaded membranes exhibited excellent performance for inhibiting the growth of Caco‐2 cells, which revealed the membranes' biomedical potential for chemotherapy of colon cancer. Meanwhile, in view of the good adhesion of the cells to the membranes, this novel mesoporous material was also perspective in tissue engineering.