Chewing gum of antimicrobial decapeptide (KSL) as a sustained antiplaque agent: preformulation study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of KSL, an antimicrobial decapeptide, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of oral bacterial strains associated with caries development and plaque formation, to act as an antiplaque agent in a chewing gum formulation. A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for KSL and found to be stability-indicating. KSL was stable in acetate buffer at pH 4 and artificial saliva. On the affinity of KSL to tooth-like materials, the KSL showed favorable interaction with hydroxyapatite discs pretreated with human saliva. A chewing gum formulation of KSL was prepared based on conventional procedures and the release of KSL from the gum was studied in vitro using the chewing apparatus and in vivo by a chew-out method. The gum formulations showed promising in vitro/in vivo release profiles, in which 70-80% KSL was released in a sustained manner over 20 min of chewing time. This study suggests that KSL in a gum formulation is suitable for the delivery in the oral cavity, thereby serving as a novel antiplaque agent.