Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy through photosensitizers loaded poly-l-glycolic acid on Candida albicans in denture lining material: Release, biological and hardness study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this in-vitro study was to formulate poly-l-glycolic acid nanoparticles loaded with methylene blue (PLGA-MB) and to characterize their physicochemical features, photosensitizer-release kinetics and antimicrobial efficacy against Candida albicans (C. albicans) after incorporating in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture lining materials.

Material and methods: MB-PLGA nanoparticles were synthesized according to the modified nanoprecipitation method. The morphological characterization of the nanoparticles was studied under scanning and transmission electron microscope. Particle size, surface charge, polydispersity index (PDI) and MB release were evaluated. The effect of 660 nm semiconductor AlGaInP diode laser on C. albicans was studied in vitro. The PMMA was weighed and PLGA free and PLGA-MB were added in the lining material according to the weight percentage as 2.0 wt.% and 5.0 wt.% and tested for the diameter of the inhibition zones of C. albicans growth and shore A hardness.

Results: Homogenous spherical nanoparticles with round morphology with size ranging between 60-80 nm were observed while PLGA-MB were seen to have irregular structure within the nanoparticle under TEM. PLGA-Free was larger in size than the loaded PLGA (∼62 nm) that evidenced reduction in size by adding the MB photosensitizer. PDI recordings reduced from 0.198 for the PLGA-Free nanoparticles to 0.164 for the PLGA-MB nanoparticles. The entrapment efficiency of MB inside PLGA showed an average percentage of ∼75 % uptake that resulted in the overall loading of ∼15 %. An overall inhibition of 78 %, 41 % and 28 % of C. albicans growth was seen with a concentration of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 μg/mL, respectively. The application of PLGA nanoparticles loaded with MB evidenced >75 % of C. albicans. MB incorporation did not lead to a clinically relevant change on shore A hardness.

Conclusion: PLGA loaded with MB is believed to have promising target therapy against C. albicans in denture soft lining materials in terms of PACT in vitro. The synergistic association between PLGA and MB proved enhanced antifungal activity. PLGA-MB could be an important tool in nanobiotechnology and photodynamic therapy for novel formulations with higher antimicrobial efficacy and improved drug delivery from denture soft lining materials.

Keywords: Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy; Candida albicans; Methylene blue; Nanoparticles; Photochemotherapy; Poly-l-glycolic acid.