The present work aimed to evaluate the release behavior of tetracycline hydrochloride loaded chitosan/poly(lactic acid) (Tet-CS/PLA) antimicrobial nanofibrous membranes fabricated via electrospinning technique. The electrospinning solution was a blend of Tet, CS formic acid solution and PLA chloroform/ethanol solution. The interaction between CS and PLA in CS/PLA nanofibers was confirmed to be hydrogen bond. The incorporation of Tet caused a slight decrease in the diameter of nanofibers with Tet content below 30%. Tet-CS/PLA nanofibrous membrane showed a slight initial burst within the first 4 h before a gradual increase in cumulative release, and the release percentage increased with increasing Tet contents. Tet release (M-t/M-infinity < 0.6) from the medicated nanofibers could be described by Fickian diffusion model and the release profiles showed two sequential stages. Tet-CS/PLA nanofibrous membranes exhibited an effective and sustainable inhabitance on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, and the antimicrobial activity increased rapidly with increasing Tet contents below 20%. Furthermore, the incorporation of let promoted the degradation of nanofibrous membranes. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.