Polysilsesquioxane decorated ZIF-8 as a potential pH-responsive vehicle for topical delivery and release of acyclovir and tetracycline: Investigation of blood compatibility, cytotoxicity and antibacterial properties.

In this research, poly-chloropropylmethyl-silsesquioxanen was prepared and decorated with ZIF-8 in order to investigate its loading capacity for acyclovir and tetracycline. Before and after drug loadings, the composites were characterized by FT-IR, SEM-EDS, XRD, and XPS analyses. Then, the in-vitro release of these drugs was investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy in different buffers (pH = 5, 7.4, and 9.1). The results showed that the release of ACV reached a maximum amount of 41.3 mg at pH = 7.4 during 12 h. In comparison, the release of TC reached a maximum amount of 22.5 mg at pH = 5 during 6 h. The blood compatibility, in-vitro cytotoxicity on the L929 fibroblast cells line, and antibacterial assay against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also investigated for this composite as a drug carrier.