Preparation and characterization of naringenin/methyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibers for drug delivery

Naringenin (NAR), a natural flavonoid, possesses potent antibacterial and antioxidant properties. However, its therapeutic potential is severely limited by poor water solubility. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore efficient drug delivery formulations to improve the physicochemical properties of NAR. In the present work, NAR was successfully encapsulated into methyl- β -cyclodextrin (M β CD) to form inclusion complex, which were further processed into nanofibers (NAR/M β CD-IC-NF) via electrospinning technology. SEM results indicated that the nanofibers were uniform and bead-free, with the NAR/M β CD-IC-NF displaying a remarkably large surface area per unit mass together with a highly developed porous framework. Multiple complementary characterization techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR), carbon nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C NMR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were adopted to verify the successful formation of NAR/M β CD inclusion complex within nanofibers. Molecular docking simulation was further performed to illuminate the host–guest interaction and binding conformation between NAR and M β CD at the molecular level. Additionally, there was a marked increase in the water solubility of NAR, with NAR/M β CD-IC-NF capable of complete dissolution in water within 3 s. Free radical scavenging and antibacterial assays confirmed that NAR/M β CD-IC-NF significantly enhanced the biological activity of NAR. In summary, NAR/M β CD-IC-NF served as an effective carrier system to significantly improve the solubility of NAR, thereby expanding its application prospects and bioavailability in biopharmaceuticals. Graphical abstract