In vitro bioactivity and drug release kinetics studies of mesoporous silica-biopolymer composites

Targeted drug delivery systems become highly significant in certain diseases where the required dosage of drug cannot be delivered due to poor blood circulation in the targeted hard tissues. The present study reports a simple method of preparing mesoporous silica (SBA-15)/Biopolymer composite and loading an antibiotic in the silica scaffold which may find applications in bone drug delivery system. The SBA-15 was prepared under different conditions and analyzed for its texture and structural properties. The as prepared silica was characterized by low angle X-ray diffraction and BET surface area measurement which shows mesoporosity associated with hexagonally organized channels, a narrow pore size distribution and a large surface area. Chitin and Chitosan were the biopolymers used in the preparation of composites and bioactivity of the composites was investigated in the SBF medium. Ciprofloxacin was used as a model drug molecule in the drug delivery studies as its molecular size is suitable for inclusion within the mesopores of the SBA-15 material. The in vitro drug release was investigated in the simulated body fluid medium. The mesoporous silica's were found to be highly bioactive and found to possess sustained drug delivery kinetics.