Controlled release of chlorhexidine digluconate using β-cyclodextrin and microfibrillated cellulose

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Controlled drug release systems are crucial for therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.
• Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) are known for their drug delivery capabilities.
• Chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) is an effective antibacterial agent requiring controlled release for sustained action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and compare two novel controlled release systems for CHX using MFC-coated papers and βCD.
• To investigate the release mechanisms and kinetics of CHX from MFC and βCD formulations.
• To evaluate the synergistic effects of combining MFC and βCD for enhanced drug delivery.

Main Methods:

• Coating cellulosic substrates with MFC or βCD suspensions containing CHX.
• Conducting intermittent diffusion studies in an aqueous medium.
• Analyzing CHX release mechanisms using field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), NMR, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• βCD demonstrated a more gradual and prolonged release of CHX compared to MFC, attributed to inclusion complex formation.
• MFC primarily mitigated the initial burst release of CHX.
• A complementary action was observed when MFC and βCD were combined, allowing for tunable release rates.
• The MFC-βCD combination facilitated higher amounts of CHX release over time (rapid delivery) compared to βCD alone (slow delivery).

Conclusions:

• The developed MFC-coated paper and βCD systems offer distinct controlled release profiles for CHX.
• βCD alone provides slow, sustained release, while the MFC-βCD combination enables rapid release of higher drug quantities.
• These systems present versatile options for applications requiring tailored drug release kinetics.