ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare nanofibrous membranes of poly (vinyl alcohol)/chitosan (PVA/CS) loaded with varied salvianic acid A sodium (SAS) contents.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ultrafine fiber mats were prepared with PVA/CS as matrix and SAS as model drug. The structure and morphology of the nanofibrous membranes were characterized by FT-IR and SEM. Drug-loading amount and drug release profiles of these membranes were determined by UV VIS spectra, and the degradation of the membranes was also investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Average diameters of PVA/CS/SAS nanofibers with different SAS contents were 280 ≊390 nm. Drug-loading amount of these nanofibrous membranes was high and exhibited sustained and controlled release behavior for SAS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The PVA/CS/SAS nanofibrous membrane prepared in this study loads drug uniformly and has remarkably sustained release behavior, which may offer strategies for the research and development of novel topical drug delivery systems.</p>