In vitro effects of a chlorhexidine controlled delivery system.

The aim of this work was study the effect of the chlorhexidine : hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CLX : HP-beta-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-beta-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-beta-CD inhibited A. actinomycetemcomitans and S. mutans significantly. The morphological effect studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that CLX : HP-beta-CD did not cause morphological changes to the slab's surface. It is concluded that the chlorhexidine : hydroxypropyl-beta-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.