Bioactive Glass Preloaded with Antibiotics for Delivery of Long-Term Localized Drug Release Exhibiting Inherent Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

Bacterial infections caused by biofilms are often difficult to treat due to the resistant nature of the latter, which require high concentrations of antibiotics to be applied for prolonged periods to achieve complete eradication. This study aimed to design a new drug delivery system for long-term drug release for the treatment of bacterial infections. Specifically, bioactive glass preloaded with vancomycin (BG-V) and synthesized without any thermal treatment was designed to load higher percentages of the drug and release it slowly over time. In this study, BG-V was-synthesized using a solution containing vancomycin, with glass being formed around it by adding metal precursors to this solution. The BG-V was then left to dry at room temperature to form a white powder with vancomycin trapped in the structure. The successful synthesis of BG-V was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning emission microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis. The results showed that BG-V was successfully developed using FTIR, showing vancomycin within the BG-V structure. After the drug release, BG-V showed great bioactivity, as indicated by the XRD and bacterial studies. The result shows that drug release is controlled by a combination of diffusion through the matrix and the gradual erosion of the delivery system.