Crosslinked chitosan/silk fibroin blend films were prepared by a solution casting technique using glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agent. Drug release characteristics of the blend films with various blend compositions were investigated. Theophylline, diclofenac sodium, amoxicillin trihydrate, and salicylic acid were used as model drugs. The release studies were performed at 37 °C in buffer solutions at pH 2.0, 5.5, and 7.2. It was found that the blend films with 80% chitosan content showed the maximum amount of model drug release at pH 2.0 for all the drugs studied here. This result corresponded to the swelling ability of the blend films. From a swelling study, the maximum degrees of swelling of the drug‐loaded blend films were obtained at this pH and blend composition. The amount of drugs released from the films with 80% chitosan content, from the highest to the lowest values, occurred in the following sequence: salicylic acid > theophylline > diclofenac sodium > amoxicillin.
Comparison of the amounts of drug released from chitosan and the blend film with 80% chitosan content at pH 2.0: (filled) chitosan film, and (blank) blend film with 80% chitosan content (SAL = salicylic acid, THEO = theophylline, DFS = diclofenac sodium, AMX = amoxicillin).
