Articles & Issues
- Language
- English
- Conflict of Interest
- In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
- Publication history
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Received November 17, 2025
Revised January 15, 2026
Accepted January 22, 2026
Available online June 26, 2026
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This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits
unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for Optimizing Gentamicin Loading on Delivery Systems Based on Layered Double Hydroxides and Carbon Dots to Achieve Controlled Release and Enhanced Antibacterial Activity
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-026-00657-8
Abstract
Development of advanced materials and optimization of the loading efficiency of antibiotics on those materials to combat
drug-resistant bacteria are strongly encouraged. CuBi-layered double hydroxide (CuBi-LDH) and carbon dots (CDs) were
selected for development as drug delivery systems. Response surface methodology (RSM) using central composite design
(CCD) was applied to optimize gentamicin sulfate (GEN) loading onto the drug delivery system. The combined effect
of loading parameters such as initial GEN quantity (X1) and initial CDs quantity (X2) was studied. The results obtained
by ANOVA analysis displayed the relative significance of the process parameters in the adsorption process. The GEN
loading efficiency onto CuBi-LDH was 11.24% with 0.5 g of GEN, which increased to 14.57% upon the addition of
0.1 g of CDs. The study found that the CuBi-LDH and CDs/CuBi-LDH materials act as a dual-functional drug delivery
system, which provides controlled drug release over a 12-hour period and enhances inhibitory the GEN’s potency against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The hierarchy of antibacterial
effectiveness was shown by zones of inhibition (ZOIs) and minimum concentrations (MICs): CDs/CuBi-LDH/GEN demonstrated
a ZOI of 20–25 mm and an MIC of 100 µg/mL, which was more effective than CuBi-LDH/GEN (16–23 mm
and 150 µg/mL) and GEN (10–15 mm and 200 µg/mL). Showing markedly improved effectiveness over the parent drug,
the combined CDs and/or CuBi-LDH materials present a promising approach for developing new antibacterial agents and
treating bacterial infections.
