Preparation of glass-ionomer cement containing ethanolic Brazilian pepper extract (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) fruits: chemical and biological assays

Abstract Plants may contain beneficial or potentially dangerous substances to humans. This study aimed to prepare and evaluate a new drug delivery system based on a glass-ionomer-Brazilian pepper extract composite, to check for its activity against pathogenic microorganisms of the oral cavity, along with its in vitro biocompatibility. The ethanolic Brazilian pepper extract (BPE), the glass-ionomer cement (GIC) and the composite GIC-BPE were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and thermal analysis. The BPE compounds were identified by UPLC–QTOF–MS/MS. The release profile of flavonoids and the mechanical properties of the GIC-BPE composite were assessed. The flavonoids were released through a linear mechanism governing the diffusion for the first 48 h, as evidenced by the Mt/M∞ relatively to $$\sqrt t$$ t , at a diffusion coefficient of 1.406 × 10–6 cm2 s−1. The ATR-FTIR analysis indicated that a chemical bond between the GIC and BPE components may have occurred, but the compressive strength of GIC-BPE does not differ significantly from that of this glass-ionomer. The GIC-BPE sample revealed an ample bacterial activity at non-cytotoxic concentrations for the human fibroblast MRC-5 cells. These results suggest that the prepared composite may represent an alternative agent for endodontic treatment.