Objective: Given the need for effective antimicrobial delivery to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of scaling and root planning (SRP) in periodontal treatment, this study aimed to develop a biocompatible and antimicrobial biogel incorporating mānuka oil or β-triketone-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, with comparable syringeability to a commercial periodontal gel (CURAPROX), as an adjunctive approach to SRP.
Methods: Mānuka oil and β-triketone-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were produced using microfluidics and incorporated into a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) biogel. Rheological properties, including viscosity and frequency sweep, were optimized to match CURAPROX. Syringeability was evaluated by measuring the extrusion peak force. Nanoparticle distribution in the gel matrix was visualized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticle-gel composites was assessed against Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Fusobacterium nucleatum, and biocompatibility was evaluated on human gingival fibroblasts. Retention of the optimized formulation was further compared with CURAPROX in an in vitro periodontal pocket model simulating periodontitis.
Results: The optimized nanoparticle-gel composites exhibited viscosities between 60 and 65 Pa·s, comparable to CURAPROX, and extrusion peak force below 30 N, within syringeability limits. The mānuka oil and β-triketone-loaded chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against periodontitis-associated bacteria, while maintaining good gingival fibroblast viability. In the in vitro periodontal pocket model, retention of the biogel was comparable to CURAPROX under periodontitis-mimicking conditions.
Significance: This study demonstrates the successful synthesis of CMC biogel incorporating mānuka oil and β-triketone-loaded chitosan nanoparticles with comparable physiochemical and handling properties to commercial periodontal gel. The formulation highlights potential for localized antimicrobial delivery as an adjunctive therapy to SRP in periodontal treatment.
- 9926876800801891
- An antimicrobial biogel with nanoencapsulation of β-triketones for periodontal treatment: An in vitro study
- Chen ChenDina AbdelmoneimWarwick J. DuncanNatalie J. HughesKai Chun LiGhsaq AlhamdaniNiki HazeltonDawn E. Coates
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute; Otago Micro and Nanoscale Imaging; School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Dental materials, Vol.42(11), pp.2054-2065
- Elsevier
- 03/06/2026
- Novel Mānuka oil antibacterial medicaments to promote bone regeneration in oral wounds, UOOX2104, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (New Zealand, Wellington) - MBIE
- Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. This work was first published in Dental Materials (Elsevier). This is an open access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that the original work is properly attributed to the creator(s) and the source, a link to the Creative Commons license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
- English
- Journal article