The efficacy of hydroxyapatite composite impregnated with amphotericin B.

We investigated the efficacy of local biodegradable composites composed of hydroxyapatite-plaster of paris and either chitosan or alginate binder impregnated with amphotericin B. Antifungal activity was tested for Candida albicans using a modified disc diffusion technique for 6 weeks and compared with similarly impregnated polymethylmethacrylate. The physicochemical properties of each preparation were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The antifungal activity of amphotericin B eluted from the hydroxyapatite composites was significantly greater than the polymethylmethacrylate after 7 days. The hydroxyapatite composites and the polymethylmethacrylate system sustained their antifungal activity for at least 1 month. However, after 5 weeks, the antifungal activities of the polymethylmethacrylate systems rapidly lessened, while the hydroxyapatite composites sustained their activities at a much higher level. We found no difference in antifungal activity between the hydroxyapatite composite using either the chitosan or alginate binder. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the drug release profile. The hydroxyapatite composites impregnated with amphotericin B showed superior antifungal efficacy over those loaded in polymethylmethacrylate in an in vitro study, but additional in vivo research is needed to confirm this result.