Dual role of layered double hydroxide nanocomposites on antibacterial activity and degradation of tetracycline and oxytetracyline.

The antibiotic intercalation inside the layered double hydroxide (LDH) layers was usually considered for water decontamination but rarely for drug delivery. Here, tetracycline (TCH) and oxytetracycline (OXY) were immobilized in Zn2Al-Cl LDH following two methods: co-precipitation and anionic exchange. The interfacial concentration of antibiotic varies from 0.04 to 0.5 depending the method of immobilization. The antibiotics are not intercalated in the interlayer space allowing their release in 10 Hours. The antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. epidermidis revealed that the loaded antibiotics are still active but less efficient compared to the free ones. After exposition to UV light or to high temperature storage (30, 60 and 120 °C), their antibacterial activity significantly decreases due to their degradation especially when antibiotic is loaded on material by co-precipitation. These results are promise to reduce antibiotic contamination in waters.