Novel Rhinological Application of Polylactic Acid-An In Vitro Study.

A novel approach to the treatment of sinusitis is the use of nasal stents. The stent is loaded with a corticosteroid, which prevents complications in the wound-healing process. The design is such that it will prevent the sinus from closing again. The stent is 3D printed using a fused deposition modeling printer, which enhances the customization. The polymer utilized for the purpose of 3D printing is polylactic acid (PLA). The compatibility between the drugs and polymers is confirmed by FT-IR and DSC. The drug is loaded onto the polymer by soaking the stent in the drug's solvent, known as the solvent casting method. Using this method, approximately 68% of drug loading is found to be achieved onto the PLA filaments, and a total of 72.8% of drug loading is obtained in terms of the 3D-printed stent. Drug loading is confirmed by the morphological characteristics of the stent by SEM, where the loaded drug is clearly visible as white specks on the surface of the stent. Drug release characterization is conducted by dissolution studies, which also confirm drug loading. The dissolution studies show that the release of drugs from the stent is constant and not erratic. Biodegradation studies were conducted after increasing the rate of degradation of PLA by soaking it in PBS for a predetermined duration of time. The mechanical properties of the stent, such as stress factor and maximum displacement, are discussed. The stent has a hairpin-like mechanism for opening inside the nasal cavity.

Antibacterial Efficacy of Hubballi Propolis against Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans One of the Major Causative Organisms of Perimplantitis: An In vitro Study.

Background: Peri-implantitis can be attributed to many underlying causes, one of the chief ones being due to infection caused by oral micro flora and particularly Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Antibiotics are administered along with mechanical debridement to control the infection. The side effect of conventional antibiotic therapy and drug resistance has led to the necessity for alternate approaches to handle infections. Natural products are being investigated because of their multi-target activity and structurally different from the normal antibiotics. Propolis a product by Apis Mellifera bees as a wound healing and bone regenerating effect along with antimicrobial effect. One of the important features of Propolis is the chemical properties of Propolis changes with the different locations of procurement. Antimicrobial activity of Hubballi propolis against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is not been reported in the literature. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of the Hubballi Propolis against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Methods: The two solvents used for the study were water and 70% Aq ethanol. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), total phenolic contents (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) were tested. Results: Hubballi Propolis sample showed antimicrobial effect against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans with MIC range from 0.1 mg/ml to 0.25 mg/ml. Conclusion: Hubballi Propolis is effective against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans infection thus may help in treating peri-implantitis. Propolis extracted with water as solvent showed better MIC, higher TPC and TFC than the propolis extracted using alcohol as solvent. This feature is noteworthy as the formulations produced using water extract is favorable than alcohol extract of propolis which irritates the mucosa and hence difficult for its application in dentistry.

Influence of Domestic Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Women's Periconceptional Stage and Associated Risk of Oral Cleft in Offspring.

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a group of chemicals with an omnipresence in the environment and our surroundings. With their genotoxicity and carcinogenic nature, it has been proven to be monstrous in our daily life and, especially for pregnant women and their newborn. Aim: This questionnaire study was done to verify the influence of domestic exposure to polyaromatic hydrocarbons on women's periconceptional stage and risk of oral cleft in offspring in the suburban and the rural population of Mysore. Methodology: Two hundred pregnant women as patients from four different hospitals in Mysore were given a questionnaire to be filled with 24 parameters ranging from the knowledge to various means of exposure to the pregnant women with the PAH and the severity and the extent of the orofacial defect in the newborn. Results: It was determined that exposure of pregnant women to the smoke emanating from the method of cooking or heating to smoking (first or passive) and the direct inhalation of gas had the maximum effects on the association of cleft palate (60.7%) in unilateral followed by 90.9% in bilateral, 65.0% in soft tissue, and 76.2% in hard tissue cleft palate. Conclusion: The deleterious effects of the cooking and water heating measures practiced in the suburban and the rural population predisposed the pregnant women to significantly higher chances of offspring with the varied extent of the orofacial defect. There is an influence of domestic exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on women's periconceptional stage and risk of oral cleft in offspring.