Formulation and Optimization of Biodegradable Periodontal Chips Containing Metronidazole and Levofloxacin

This research aimed to developintrapocket,biodegradablechips ofpoly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) loaded with Metronidazole (MZ) and levofloxacin (LF),for sustained release local drug delivery in periodontal pocket to treat periodontitis. Metronidazole and levofloxacin are widely employed for the treatment of periodontitis,but high oral dose and resistance development after long-term oral administration limit their use, hence local delivery is a good approach. The chips were prepared by solvent casting technique using diethyl phthalate as plasticizer. Their physical characteristics, such as drug content,surface pH, swelling index, and folding endurance, exhibited results within limit. Further, FTIR and DSCstudies revealed stability of chips and compatibility between drugs and excipients.In vitro release in McIlvainebuffer pH 7.8 was of sustained nature assisted by the burst effect. Design-Expert® (11.0.4) software was used to study the effect of polymer & plasticizer on release of drugs Polymer concentrationsnegatively affected drug release and positively affected T90 (time for releasing 90% of the drug) due toaltered matrix density. In contrast, the plasticizer concentration increases membrane permeability andhence increased drug release, lowering T90. Forvarious response variables,polynomial mathematical models were generated usingmultiple regression analysis, and found to be statistically significant (????<0.05).The antibacterial efficacy of films was tested on Pseudomonas spp. Bacteroides spp., indicatinggood antibacterial activity. Optimized formulations were further used for preparing optimized biodegradable, Metronidazole-Levofloxacin sustained release chip. Conclusively, the films of MZ and LF were successful tools for the management ofperiodontitis.

Characterization of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Flour Films: Effects of pH and Plasticizer Concentration

The use of flours as a material for biopolymer-based film preparation has gained interest due to the fact that they are a natural mixture of compatible macromolecules and due to their low cost. Chickpea flour shows a promising composition for the development of edible films. The aim of this study was to characterize and evaluate the properties of chickpea flour films as affected by pH (7 or 10) and plasticizer concentration (1% or 3% w/v) of film-forming solutions. Water vapor permeability, solubility, color, opacity, mechanical properties, thermal stability, structural changes by Fourier transform infrared analysis, and microstructure of the films were determined. Glycerol content and pH influenced chickpea flour film properties, microstructure and structural organization; interactions were also observed. The 1% glycerol films showed lower water vapor permeability, thickness, radical scavenging capacity, elongation at break and puncture deformation, and higher dry matter content, swelling, opacity, elastic modulus, and tensile and puncture strengths than 3% glycerol films. Film-forming solutions at pH 10 produced films with higher thickness and swelling, and were greener than those from solutions at neutral pH. The changes were more intense in 1% glycerol films. Glycerol concentration and pH could be combined in order to obtain chickpea flour films with different properties according to different food packaging requirements.

Thermoset Polymer Matrix Structure and Properties: Coarse-Grained Simulations

The formation of a thermoset polymer network is a complex process with great variability. In this study, we used dissipative particle dynamics and graph theory tools to investigate the curing process and network topology of a phthalonitrile thermoset to reveal the influence of initiator and plasticizer concentration on its properties. We also propose a novel way to characterize the network topology on the basis of two independent characteristics: simple cycle length (which is mainly affected by the initiator amount) and the number of simple cycles passing through a single covalent bond (which is determined primarily by plasticizer concentration). These values can be treated in the more familiar terms of network “mesh size” and “sponginess”, correspondingly. The combination of these two topological parameters allows one to characterize any given network in an implicit but precise way and predict the resulting network properties, including the mechanical modulus. We believe that the same approach could be useful for other polymer networks as well, including rubbers and gels.

COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF THE EDIBLE FILM BASED ON LOW PECTIN METHOXYL WITH GLYCEROL AND SORBITOL PLASTICIZERS

This study aims to compare the characteristics of mechanical and water vapor permeability of edible film based on low pectin methoxyl from cocoa skin with glycerol and sorbitol as plasticizer. In the research also added CaCO3 filler with the weight variation of 0; 0.2; and 0.4 gr. Pectin from cocoa peel was isolated by extraction use ammonium oxalic at a temperature of 85oC, pH of 3.6 for 60 minutes. An edible film synthesized at a temperature of 85oC to the agitation time of 50 minutes. 200 mesh of pectin used with the variation of glycerol and sorbitol plasticizer concentration are 1, 2 and 3% in volume. Edible films produced were dried at a temperature of 55oC for 6 hours. The results of the study obtained in 0.2 gr CaCO3 concentration and 1% glycerol of edible films has a tensile strength of 0.3267 mpa, percent elongation of 12.84%, modulus young of 2.5441 mpa, and the water vapor permeability of 4.1676 g/m2.day. While in 0.4 gr CaCO3 concentration and 1% sorbitol of edible films has a tensile strength of 6.511 mpa, percent elongation of 2.419%, modulus young of 269.119 mpa, and the water vapor permeability of 5.583 g/m2.day. Based on percent elongation characteristics, glycerol plasticizer made higher elasticity than sorbitol plasticizer. While the addition of filler able to increase tensile strength two times larger than without filler.