In Vitro Effects of a Chlorhexidine Controlled Delivery System

Abstract: The aim of this work was study the effect of the chlorhexidine : hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (CLX : HP‐β‐CD) inclusion compound (IC) on in vitro slabs of bovine dentine. The substantivity, antimicrobial activity, and morphological effect of this inclusion compound were evaluated. Cyclodextrin improves the physical‐chemical and pharmacological properties of drugs. Fragments of bovine dentine were immersed into either IC serial solutions at 0.24%, 0.12%, 0.06%, 0.03%, 0.015%, and 0.008% or controls water and free chlorhexidine. The desorption kinetics showed that CLX : HP‐β‐CD compound release CLX for 6 days in a rate flow near to zero‐order profile in comparison to plain CLX. Antimicrobial activity tests showed that CLX : HP‐β‐CD inhibited A. actinomycetemcomitans and S. mutans significantly. The morphological effect studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that CLX : HP‐β‐CD did not cause morphological changes to the slab's surface. It is concluded that the chlorhexidine : hydroxypropyl‐β‐CD inclusion compound creates an effective controlled release system with biological activity and that it may act as a good prevention and control agent of caries and periodontal disease in vivo.