Controlled drug release is a process in which a predetermined amount of drug is released for longer period
of time, ranging from days to months, in a controlled manner. In this study, novel drug delivery devices were
fabricated via blend electrospinning and coaxial electrospinning using poly lactic glycolic acid (PLGA), gum
tragacanth (GT) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) as a hydrophilic model drug in different compositions
and their performance as a drug carrier scaffold was evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results
showed that fabricated PLGA, blend PLGA/GT and core shell PLGA/GT nanofibers had a smooth and bead-less
morphology with the diameter ranging from 180 to 460 nm. Drug release studies showed that both the fraction
of GT within blend nanofibers and the core–shell structure can effectively control TCH release rate from
the nanofibrous membranes. By incorporation of TCH into core–shell nanofibers, drug release was sustained
for 75 days with only 19% of burst release within the first 2 h. The prolonged drug release, together with proven
biocompatibility, antibacterial and mechanical properties of drug loaded core shell nanofibers make them a
promising candidate to be used as drug delivery system for periodontal diseases.