Levofloxacin Release, Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity Studies on a Novel Wound Dressing

Abstract

A novel functional material was fabricated by combining levofloxacin microspheres with viscose nonwoven fabrics. The complex microspheres were made by w/o emulsion crosslinking technique. The morphologies of both microspheres and fabric composite were investigated by SEM. The drug release property was evaluated by UV. The antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity were tested by spread plate and cell culture method. The results showed that the microspheres had spherical shape and could be embedded into the viscose fabrics. The levofloxacin was released gradually within 168 hours and its release kinetics corresponded to diffusion-relaxation model. In addition, the antibacterial activity of the fabric was increased with prolonged drug releasing time and the complex fabrics had no obvious cytotoxicity. The functional material has great potential to be used as a wound dressing with antibacterial property.