Drug release kinetics and biological properties of a novel local drugcarrier system

Background: The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate drug release kinetics andcytotoxicity of a novel drug delivery system for treatment of periodontitis.Materials and Methods: This in vitro study addresses the fabrication of a polycaprolactone/alginic acid‑based polymeric film loaded with metronidazole, as a basic drug in the treatment ofperiodontal diseases. Films were prepared by solvent casting technique. Four formulations withdifferent percentages of drug by weight (3%, 5%, 9%, and 13%) were prepared. Drug release kineticswere investigated using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy during (one week). Data were analyzedusing repeated measures ANOVA. Cytotoxicity of drug‑loaded system extracts was evaluated by3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay using L929 cells after24‑h incubation. The results were evaluated according to ISO standard 10993‑5 and assessed usingANOVA and Tukey’s tests at a significance level of P 0.05.Results: All polymeric films showed a burst drug release followed by a gradual release. Drugrelease data were fitted well with the first‑order kinetic model in all drug‑containing formulationsindicating that drug release is a fraction of remaining drug in the matrix. Drug release is mainly drivenby diffusion of medium into the composite matrix. 3%wt metronidazole‑containing formulationexhibited the best MTT result.Conclusion: The findings of this study supported the synthesis of drug‑loaded periodontal filmswith 3% metronidazole due to better biological properties along with the ability of acceptable drugrelease to eradicate anaerobic periodontal bacteria.