Evaluation of nanofiber scaffolds laden Ashvakatri in the management of chronic periodontitis-a randomized, controlled split pocket study

Background: The main objective of periodontal treatment is to stop the progression of periodontal disease. Controlled-release drugs yield promising outcomes when conventional treatment is proven to be insufficient in establishing periodontal health in chronic periodontitis. A low-dose controlled-release delivery method for the treatment of periodontal infection was attempted to be developed in this study. With effective electrospinning, a novel sustained-release medication system including polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers containing Ashvakatri (A2) and Tetracycline (TET) was accessed clinically for periodontitis. Method & materials: The electrospinning technique prepared nanofibers with A2 and TET in PCL and gelatin. The A2-loaded nanofiber followed the Higuchi model release and had a sustained impact of 9 days (220 h). 75 periodontal sites from 31 patients with chronic periodontitis (≥5 mm probing depth) followed by 3 groups: Group I received Scaling and root planning (SRP) and blank polymer mat whereas Group II treated with SRP and PCL-GE-A2 nanofiber scaffold/mat, and Group III received SRP + PCL-GE-TET (tetracycline) nanofiber scaffolds. Clinical evaluations of GI, PI, PPD, and CAL were performed on each patient group. Conclusion: Compared to the placebo and standard group, the test group was remarkably associated with improved GI, PI, PPD, and CAL at the end of the study. Therefore, drug-loaded nanofiber was found to be efficacious in treating periodontal diseases and may be appropriate as an alternative treatment. Clinical significance: The fabricated PCL-GE-A2 nanofiber mat was more cost-efficient, minimized the dosage amount, and dosage frequency, and showed no adverse effects or discomforts with increased patient compliance. © 2025 The Authors