Synthesis of carboxymethylated nanocellulose fabricated ciprofloxacine - Montmorillonite composite for sustained delivery of antibiotics.

Montmorillonite (MMT) is a highly promising material for use in drug delivery due to its high drug loading capacity and controlled drug release properties. MMT protects drug molecules between layered structure; however, drug release from MMT is sustained less than 6 h, which is insufficient for the release of antibiotics. This study sought to synthesize an antibiotic delivery material with more sustained release properties. A ciprofloxacin (CIP)-MMT composite was fabricated using carboxymethylated nanocellulose (CMCNF). A simple adsorption reaction intercalated 31.1% of CIP molecules present into the MMT under optimized conditions (pH 5, CIP = 1000 mg/L, Reaction time = 3 h). The synthesized CIP-MMT composite was fabricated using 1.5, 2, or 3 wt% CMCNF. Increasing the CMCNF content delayed the erosion of the CMCNF matrix and prevented rapid dissolution of the CIP-MMT composite. In vitro release experiments revealed that the CIP-MMT composite material provided the sustained release of CIP over 6 h. Erosion of the 3 wt% CMCNF-CIP-MMT composite occurred slowly and provided 48 h of sustained CIP release. An anti-bacterial test revealed that the 3 wt% CMCNF-CIP-MMT composite displayed the most constant antibacterial activity over 12 days. These results demonstrated that the CMCNF prepared with CIP intercalation in MMT was highly effective in prolonging the antibiotic release.