Tetracycline hydrochloride loaded poly(vinyl alcohol)/soybean protein isolate/zirconium (Tet-PVA/SPI/ZrO2) nanofibrous membranes were fabricated via an electrospinning technique. The average diameter of the PVA/soybean protein isolate (SPI)/ZrO2 nanofibers used as drug carriers increased with increasing ZrO2 content, and the nanofibers were uneven and tended to stick together when the ZrO2 content was above 15 wt %. The Tet-PVA/SPI/ZrO2 nanofibers were similar in morphology when the loading dosage of the model drug tetracycline hydrochloride was below 6 wt %. The PVA, SPI, and ZrO2 units were linked by hydrogen bonds in the hybrid networks, and the addition of ZrO2 improved the thermostability of the polymer matrix. The Tet-PVA/SPI/ZrO2 nanofibrous membranes exhibited good controlled drug-release properties and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The results of this study suggest that those nanofibrous membranes were suitable for drug delivery and wound dressing. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.