A potential soft tissue filling material: chloramphenicol loaded poly(D,L-lactide) sponges

Poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) homopolymers were produced by the ring opening polymerization of a D,L-lactide dimer by using stannous chloride as the catalyst. Chloramphenicol loaded PDLLA sponges were pre- pared by a solvent evaporation procedure by using the PDLLA homopolymers with three different molecular weights (i.e., 11,000, 20,000 and 35,000 daltons). Chloramphenicol loading was changed by using three different solvents (i.e., acetone, ethyl acetate, and acetonitrile) and by changing the initial polymer concentration and its molecular weight and the initial concentration of the drug. Higher degradation rates of the chloramphenicol loaded PDLLA sponges in alkaline pH 9.0 and at 37 degrees C were observed. Chloramphenicol release rates were also high at these conditions. It was concluded that chloramphenicol release was both degradation and diffusion controlled.