The prospects of carrying and releasing drugs via biodegradable magnesium foam

Powder metallurgy technology was used to produce magnesium foams in order to evaluate their ability to perform as a solid biodegradable platform for drug delivery. The amount and delivery time of the released drug (gentamicin) was controlled by the level of space-holding particles (spacer) that was mixed with the magnesium powder prior to the sintering process. Metallurgical examination of the magnesium foams was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis. Microtomography CT analysis was used to evaluate the structural characteristics of the magnesium foams and their internal interconnected porosity configuration. The corrosion behavior of the magnesium foams was evaluated by immersion test in a simulated physiological environment (PBS solution). The absorption of gentamicin was obtained by immersing magnesium foams in concentrated gentamicin solutions within a vacuum chamber, followed by water evaporation. The detection of gentamicin in PBS solution was carried out using a Fluorescence Polarimetry analyzer. The results show that the release profile of gentamicin from magnesium foam with 10 and 25% spacer in PBS solution was in accord with common dissolution kinetics of an active ingredient from polymeric drug delivery systems.