Novel hybrid formulations based on chitosan and a siloxane compound intended for biomedical applications

The present study reports on the obtaining of chitosan/siloxane-based microspheres by coacervation/precipitation method and their use as efficient drug delivery vehicles for ciprofloxacin, one antibacterial synthetic drug belonging to fluoroquinolones group. These new hybrid formulations were analyzed in terms of structural characterization (FTIR, SEM, TG, DSC techniques), swelling capacity and in vitro drug release. The release mechanism of the model drug was investigated by means of several kinetic models, i.e., zero order, first order, Higuchi model, Korsmeyer-Peppas model, Hixson-Crowell model, Baker-Lonsdal model, Weibull model and Schott model.