Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory xanthan-based hydrogel containing L-Carnosine/Berberine with the potential for periodontal applications

Abstract

Regarding the crucial role of both bacteria and oxidants in the progression of periodontal diseases, developing multifunctional drug carriers with simultaneous antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory characteristics is essential to combat periodontal disease efficiently. Herein, a multifunctional injectable hydrogel containing natural compounds, including berberine (BBR) and carnosine (CAR) in a xanthan (XG) matrix (CAR/BBR/XG), was prepared. The Physicochemical, rheological, and microstructural properties of four formulations of the immobilized CAR and/or BBR in XG were evaluated. FTIR, UV–Vis, and SEM–EDS analyses were employed to assess the successful immobilization of CAR and BBR. CAR/BBR/XG continuously released ~ 80% of BBR after 168 h. According to the antimicrobial study, BBR played a crucial role in combating the understudied oral microbes (A. actinomycetemcomitans, S. mutans, C. albicans, and S. aureus). In addition, both MTT and trypan blue dye exclusion assays confirmed the cytocompatibility of the target hydrogel against human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells and also approved the significant cytoprotective role of CAR controlling the toxicity of BBR. Finally, CAR/BBR/XG showed a high scavenging effect (> 95%) confirmed by DPPH and FRAP analyses and a low expression of interleukins (IL-6 and IL-8), approving synergistically potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the hydrogel, respectively. In short, a facile synthesized method for preparing a new formulation containing the cytocompatible level of BBR with acceptable antibacterial as well as significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects was proposed, which holds a strong promise as an injectable multifunctional hydrogel for periodontal treatment.

Graphical abstract