Fabrication and evaluation of a biodegradable electrospun chip loaded with chlorhexidine for periodontal disease

Electrospinning technique is used for the manufacturing matrices of drug delivery systems. This study aimed at fabricating and evaluating an electrospun chip for prolonged retention and controlled drug release at the lesion site. A biodegradable electrospun chip loaded with chlorhexidine (BESC-CHX) was manufactured to treat periodontal diseases. Then, physicochemical properties and efficacy of BESC-CHXs were investigated. The CHX content of BESC was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammation effects of BESC-CHX were assessed using a disc diffusion assay and a periodontal disease model. BESC-CHX, which is composed of 700 nm fibers, was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Many BESC-CHX batches maintained consistent CHX levels, with a drug entrapment efficiency of 83.3%. The chip released CHX for seven days and was completely degraded in artificial saliva. BESC-CHX exhibited 99.99% antimicrobial activity against 11 species of microorganisms. In a beagle periodontal disease model, BESC-CHX demonstrated improvements in periodontal probing depth and clinical attachment level, but these changes were not statistically significant. However, alveolar bone regeneration was observed in cementoenamel junction-alveolar bone crest measurements. The lowest inflammation scores were observed in this group. These findings suggest that BESC-CHXs may be beneficial for the treatment of periodontal disease. • Novel BESC-CHX targets periodontal disease with controlled chlorhexidine release. • Advanced electrospinning enables scalable production for pharmaceutical industry. • BESC-CHX demonstrates potent antimicrobial activity against periodontal pathogens. • In vivo studies show significant reduction in periodontal probing depth. • BESC-CHX promotes alveolar bone regeneration and suppresses inflammation.