Background: Dental implants have become increasingly common for the management of missing teeth. However, peri-implant infection remains a problem, is usually difficult to treat, and may lead eventually to dental implant failure. The aim of this study was to fabricate a novel antibacterial coating containing a halogenated furanone compound, ie, (Z-)-4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene)-2(5H)-furanone (BBF)-loaded poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanoparticles on microarc-oxidized titanium and to evaluate its release behavior in vitro.
Methods: BBF-loaded PLLA nanoparticles were prepared using the emulsion solvent-evaporation method, and the antibacterial coating was fabricated by cross-linking BBF-loaded PLLA nanoparticles with gelatin on microarc-oxidized titanium.
Results: The BBF-loaded PLLA nanoparticles had a small particle size (408 ± 14 nm), a low polydispersity index (0.140 ± 0.008), a high encapsulation efficiency (72.44% ± 1.27%), and a fine spherical shape with a smooth surface. The morphology of the fabricated antibacterial coating showed that the BBF-loaded PLLA nanoparticles were well distributed in the pores of the microarc oxidation coating, and were cross-linked with each other and the wall pores by gelatin. The release study indicated that the antibacterial coating could achieve sustained release of BBF for 60 days, with a slight initial burst release during the first 4 hours.
Conclusion: The novel antibacterial coating fabricated in this study is a potentially promising method for prevention of early peri-implant infection.
Keywords: antibacterial; coating; halogenated furanone; microarc oxidation; nanoparticles; sustained release.