A tetracycline hydrochloride-loaded SiO2/polycaprolactone composite from bamboo stem for controlled drug release study

A controlled drug delivery system is preferable to traditional drug administration because it can supply the drug continuously and ensure on-demand bioavailability. The production of silica/polymer composite delivery material is expensive due to the use of alkoxysilane silica precursors. As bamboo is an abundant plant in Africa, we investigated the use of bamboo stems as an alternative silica starting material. The ash from the bamboo stem was mixed with polycaprolactone (PCL) solution to produce a (SiO2/PCL) composite, which was then loaded with the drug, tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), to test in vitro degradability and controlled-release in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to examine the structure, phase composition, and chemical bond properties of the material. The TCH release profile was determined using an ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer. The SiO2/PCL composite showed a high capacity for drug loading. The composite released TCH in a consistent and sustained way, and showed regulated degradability in PBS. As a result, the use of bamboo stem-derived silica in the formulation of SiO2/PCL for continuous TCH delivery shows considerable cost-benefit potential for a safe, regulated drug delivery strategy. Significance: This study shows the benefit of using bamboo stem as an alternative silica source to alkoxysilanes. SiO2/PCL composites can be employed for the sustained delivery of drugs while providing congruent degradation. This study can serve as a benchmark for further utilisation of bamboo stem as a low-cost silica precursor