Development of Biodegradable Polymeric Membranes Loaded with Antimicrobial Compound from Andrographis paniculata for Adjunctive Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection disease that can cause destruction of gum and periodontal tissues including gum, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. Currently, treatment of periodontal diseases focused on inducing tissue regeneration (Guided Tissue Regeneration; GTR), to recover the destructed periodontal tissues by inserting a barrier membrane to prevent gingival tissue invasion into the area of injured tissues, thus allowing the periodontal tissues (i.e. ligament and alveolar bone) to be regenerated. In this study, we successfully developed a novel GTR polymeric membrane from bacterial biodegradable and biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) biopolyester containing antibiotic tetracycline encapsulated in microspheres to provide controlled released system along with a herbal antimicrobial compound from traditional Asian plant; Andrographis paniculata. This GTR membrane may be considered as an alternative to be used as a barrier membrane in the treatment of periodontitis patients by offering low price with good quality biomaterial.