Clindamycin is considered as one of the more effective antimicrobials in controlling oral infections initiated by obligate anaerobes. We were interested in determining whether clindamycin could be encapsulated for the sustained release of effective doses of antimicrobial over a period of time for the better control of localized oral infections. Objective: To study the bactericidal effect of time-released microencapsulated clindamycin on obligate oral anaerobes. Methods: Clindamycin was microencapsulated in polylactate glycolic acid (PLGA) as described elsewhere. The release of clindamycin from the encapsulated samples was observed for a 30-day period. One hundred microliter of supernatants (the release) were obtained every other day including day 30 for determining the efficacy of the released clindamycin in killing selected oral pathogens using a broth microdilution method. Results: The killing of selected oral anaerobic pathogens, which included Porphyromonas gingivalis, by the released clindamycin collected from encapsulated samples for up to day 30 was comparable to that of untreated clindamycin at 5 µg/ml (the positive control). On the other hand, buffer released from PLGA microcapsules (the negative control) did not possess any bactericidal activity. Conclusion: Clindamycin microencapsulated in PLGA can be released over time (30 days or more) with effective antimicrobial activity.

Back to the Microbiology / Immunology and Infection Control Program
Back to the 32nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the AADR (March 12-15, 2003)

Top Level Search