Abstract
Polymers such as the biocompatible polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and the polysaccharide chitosan (Chi), a pH-sensitive polymer, have been studied for drug delivery applications and scaffolds production. In this work, matrices of PHB and Chi were produced by compression molding (SPHB-Chi) and loaded with a broad-spectrum biocide chlorhexidine (CHX) (SPHB-Chi-CHX). The matrices were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SPHB-Chi capacity to absorb and deliver CHX was evaluated by UV-Vis. The antibacterial activity of the samples against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli (most common pathogens that cause infection in several body sites) was evaluated using the disk-agar diffusion method. The CHX release results were fitted by the Power Law model. The results suggested that the morphology and the CHX delivery profile were directly related to the Chi amount in the samples and also showed that the SPHB-Chi-CHX is able to inhibit the microorganism proliferation, constituting it as a potential candidate for oral applications.
Highlights
Some polymers present a transition in their configuration according to the pH of the surrounding medium and, for this reason, they are classified as pH-sensitive polymers
The in vivo results of this study suggested that such tablets are potential candidates for intraoral drug delivery
Matrices of PHB and Chi obtained by compression molding technique were successfully loaded with CHX
Summary
Some polymers present a transition in their configuration according to the pH of the surrounding medium and, for this reason, they are classified as pH-sensitive polymers. Many pH-sensitive polymers, such as poly(acrylic acid), alginate and chitosan (Chi), have been used in different delivery systems[1]. The versatility of these polymers has increased the interest for using them in potential biomedical applications, since they enable the delivery of drugs, genes and proteins[2]. Topical therapy to treat an injured place has shown several advantages, such as avoiding the systemic effects of treatment[4,5,6]. Biodegradable polymers, such as microbial polyesters, have been investigated for biomedical applications. The bioresorbable and biocompatible polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and the polysaccharide Chi have been extensively studied[7,8,9,10,11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
