Synthesis, physicochemical parameters, and in vitro evaluation of N1-p-chlorophenyl-N5-alkylbiguanides

Biguanides: Species with versatile therapeutic applications

Biguanides are compounds in which two guanidine moieties are fused to form a highly conjugated system. Biguanides are highly basic and hence they are available as salts mostly hydrochloride salts, these cationic species have been found to exhibit many therapeutic properties. This review covers the research and development carried out on biguanides and accounts the various therapeutic applications of drugs containing biguanide group-such as antimalarial, antidiabetic, antiviral, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-tubercular, antifilarial, anti-HIV, as well as other biological activities. The aim of this review is to compile all the medicinal chemistry applications of this class of compounds so as to pave way for the accelerated efforts in finding the drug action mechanisms associated with this class of compounds. Importance has been given to the organic chemistry of these biguanide derivatives also.

Sustained ex vivo skin antiseptic activity of chlorhexidine in poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanocapsule encapsulated form and as a digluconate

In this work, the sustained bactericidal activity of chlorhexidine base loaded poly(epsilon-caprolactone), PCL, nanocapsules against Staphylococcus epidermidis inoculated onto porcine ear skin was investigated. Drug loaded nanocapsules were prepared by the interfacial polymer deposition following solvent displacement method, then characterized by photon correlation spectroscopy, electrophoretic measurements, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Antimicrobial activity of these colloidal carriers was evaluated (i) in vitro against eight strains of bacteria, and (ii) ex vivo against Staphylococcus epidermidis inoculated for 12 h onto porcine ear skin surface treated for 3 min either with 0.6% chlorhexidine base loaded or unloaded nanocapsules suspended in hydrogel, or 1% chlorhexidine digluconate aqueous solution. Chlorhexidine absorption into the stratum corneum (SC) was evaluated by the tape-stripping method. The results showed that chlorhexidine nanocapsules in aqueous suspension having a 200-300 nm size and a positive charge exhibited similar minimum inhibitory concentrations against several bacteria with chlorhexidine digluconate aqueous solution. Ex vivo, there was a significant reduction in the number of colony forming units (CFUs) from 3-min treated skin with chlorhexidine nanocapsule suspension (5 to <1 log(10)) compared to chlorhexidine digluconate solution (5 to 2.02 log(10)) after a 8-h artificial contamination. After a 12-h artificial contamination, both formulations failed to achieve a 5 log(10) reduction. Furthermore, from a 3-min treatment with an identical applied dose and a subsequent 12-h artificial contamination, a residual chlorhexidine concentration in the SC was found to be three-fold higher with chlorhexidine nanocapsule suspension than with chlorhexidine digluconate solution. Interestingly, nanocapsules were shown in porcine skin follicles. Consequently, a topical application of chlorhexidine base-loaded positively charged nanocapsules in an aqueous gel achieved a sustained release of bactericide against Staphylococcus epidermidis for at least 8 h. Enhancement of drug delivery by mediating a more direct and prolonged contact between the carrier and (i) bacteria, (ii) skin surface, and (iii) skin follicles was assumed.

DC polarographic reduction of chloroguanide hydrochloride

Chloroguanide hydrochloride, an antimalarial drug, shows one well-defined DC polarographic wave in Britton-Robinson buffered media. In the pH range 3-9 the observed reduction wave is related to the reduction of the two azomethine centers on the monoprotonated biguanide group (BH+). The effects of pH and other experimental variables on the limiting current and half-wave potentials as well as the reduction mechanism are discussed.

On the anomalous sorption behaviour of chlorhexidine with poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)

General observations of solute: plastic interactions would suggest that the sorption of the cationic preservative, chlorhexidine, with poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) is not only unexpected but also atypical in its properties. The polymer and preservative were investigated independently and the sorption of PHEMA with simple solutes, namely benzoic acid, benzocaine and aniline found to exhibit conventional properties. The single exception was the uptake of small amounts of benzocaine and aniline cations at acidic pH's. In order to elucidate the sorption characteristics of chlorhexidine a series of N1-(p-chlorophenyl)-N5-alkylbiguanide acetates were synthesized. The anomalous sorption behaviour observed between PHEMA and the bis biguanide, chlorhexidine, was also found to be characteristic of these monofunctional biguanide derivatives. The extent of the interactions increased with increasing alkyl chain length (R = methyl to n-octyl), this being interpreted in terms of an interaction binding mechanism via the biguanide functional group stabilized by van der Waal's forces between the alkyl chain and the polymer backbone. Atypical sorption behaviour was observed for simple organic cations, biguanide and N2-phenylbiguanide acetate with PHEMA, a possible inference being that this is a general characteristic of all cationic sorption with PHEMA.