Hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin delivery system: Synthesis, characterisation and antibacterial activity

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Materials Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Hydroxyapatite is a biocompatible material crucial for bone regeneration.
• Ciprofloxacin is a potent antibiotic effective against various bacterial infections.
• Developing effective drug delivery systems for bone infections is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin composites via chemical precipitation.
• To characterize the physicochemical properties of the synthesized composites.
• To evaluate the in vitro drug release profile and antibacterial efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Chemical precipitation for composite synthesis.
• Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) for characterization.
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for drug quantification.
• In vitro drug release studies using Higuchi and Ritger-Peppas models.
• Antibacterial activity testing against Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin composites.
• Good drug incorporation efficiency of 18.13%.
• Diffusion-controlled drug release mechanism observed.
• Comparable antibacterial activity between synthesized composites and mechanical mixtures.
• Demonstrated slow, local drug release.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized hydroxyapatite-ciprofloxacin composites are suitable for bone graft applications due to their biocompatibility and antibacterial properties.
• The composite formulation facilitates a sustained local release of ciprofloxacin.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for treating bone infections and promoting bone healing.