Specific delivery of metronidazole using microparticles and thermosensitive hydrogel for intrapocket administration as an alternative in periodontitis treatment.

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease primarily caused by the prevalence of bacterial overgrowth resulting in the development of an inflammatory condition that destroys the tooth's supporting tissues and eventual tooth loss. Comparatively, to other treatment methods, it is difficult for topical antibacterial drugs to effectively permeate the biofilm's physical barrier, making conventional therapy for periodontitis more challenging. This novel study combines thermosensitive hydrogel with microparticles (MPs) to enhance the targeted delivery of metronidazole (MET) to the periodontal pocket. Polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer was utilized to produce bacteria-sensitive MPs. Additionally, the study assessed the attributes of MPs and demonstrated an enhancement in the antibacterial efficacy of MPs towards (SA) and (EC). Subsequently, we incorporated MET-MPs into thermosensitive hydrogel formulations using chitosan. The optimized formulations exhibited stability, appropriate gelation temperature, mucoadhesive strength, and viscosity. permeation tests showed selective and prolonged drug release against SA and EC. experiments demonstrated no significant differences between hydrogel containing pure MET and MET-MPs in biofilm quantity, bacterial counts, and metabolic activity in biofilms. According to tests and the effectiveness of the antibacterial activity, this study has exhibited a novel methodology for more efficacious therapies for periodontitis. This study aims to utilize MET in MPs to improve its effectiveness, enhance its antibacterial activity, and improve patient treatment outcomes. In further research, the efficacy of the treatment should be investigated using an appropriate animal model.