In vitro studies of elution of fluconazole, chlorhexidine and combination of two drugs from self-cured acrylic and effect of eluates upon growth of Candida albicans.

A high performance liquid chromatography was employed in monitoring the release of antifungal drugs into water from acrylic resin discs doped with fluconazole, chlorhexidine and a combination of the two drugs. The efficacy of the released drugs against a resistant strain of Candida albicans was evaluated. It was found that the drugs leach steadily out of the acrylic resin into distilled water at mouth temperature and that a sustained drug release continued throughout the 28-day test period. The released drugs demonstrated an antifungal activity against the resistant Candida albicans and this was most remarkable in the combined drugs samples. The findings of this investigation have a clinical value in terms of their significant contribution to the treatment of fungal infections of the oral cavity. The sustained release of antifungal drugs from the PMMA resin clearly constitutes a new dosage form of these drugs via the poly(methyl methacrylate) delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]