Comparative Formulation and Evaluation of Ginger Nano-emulgel and Glucosamine Sulphate Gel for Adjunctive Periodontal Therapy

Abstract

Background: Local drug delivery systems have emerged as promising adjuncts to non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) by enhancing drug bioavailability within periodontal pockets. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a ginger essential oil (GEO) nano-emulgel and compare its clinical efficacy with glucosamine sulphate (GS) gel as adjuncts to NSPT. The primary objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the local application of Ginger essential oil (GEO) nano-emulgel versus Glucosamine sulphate (GS) gel on clinical parameters of periodontitis, including the plaque index (PI), mean sulcus bleeding index (MSBI), clinical attachment level (CAL), and probing depth (PD) in adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy. The secondary objective is to detect the effect of both gels on Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) levels in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF).

Methods: GEO nano-emulgel and GS gel were formulated and characterized for physicochemical properties, rheology, and in vitro drug release. GEO nano-emulgel was further evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and morphology. A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients with periodontitis allocated to either the GEO nano-emulgel or GS gel group (n = 15 each) following scaling and root surface debridement. Clinical periodontal parameters were assessed at baseline and after 3 months, while GCF RANKL levels were measured at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The optimized GEO nano-emulgel exhibited favorable physicochemical characteristics, sustained diffusion-controlled drug release, and pseudoplastic flow behavior. Both formulations significantly improved plaque index, mean sulcus bleeding index, probing depth, and clinical attachment level after treatment. No significant intergroup differences were observed in clinical parameters. However, GEO nano-emulgel achieved a significantly greater reduction in GCF RANKL levels than GS gel (p = 0.013).

Conclusion: GEO nano-emulgel demonstrated promising adjunctive therapeutic potential for periodontitis by improving clinical outcomes and significantly reducing inflammatory RANKL levels compared with GS gel. Larger, long-term clinical trials are warranted to confirm these findings.