Chlorhexidine Digluconate CAS NO.18472-51-0

Chlorhexidine is used primarily as a topical antiseptic/disinfectant in wound healing, at catheterization sites, in various dental applications and in surgical scrubs.
The gluconate salt form of chlorhexidine, a biguanide compound used as an antiseptic agent with topical antibacterial activity. Chlorhexidine gluconate is positively charged and reacts with the negatively charged microbial cell surface, thereby destroying the integrity of the cell membrane. Subsequently, chlorhexidine gluconate penetrates into the cell and causes leakage of intracellular components leading to cell death. Since gram positive bacteria are more negatively charged, they are more sensitive to this agent.
Chlorhexidine digluconate 20% solution is a broad spectrum bacteriostatis antiseptic agent, oral care agent, disinfectant, cosmetic biocide, and preservative. It is very effective against plaque, oral flora including Candida and is active against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, facultative anaerobes, aerobes, and yeast. It can be used in antiseptic soap, mouthwash that fights plaque, disinfecting wounds and burns, vaginal flushing, hair dyes and bleaches, makeup, and other skin and hair care products.

Chlorhexidine digluconate solution is a bis(biguanide) family cationic broad spectrum antibiotic that is available in a range of concentrations and has been safely used for over 40 years for a variety of health-related applications; but its specific use for umbilical cord care was uniquely tested in three clinical trials in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, in the form of 7.1% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX). Given the promising results of the trials, in 2013 the World Health Organization (WHO) added CHX to its Model List of Essential Medicines for Children; and in 2014 the WHO issued a new guideline on umbilical cord care, which included a formal recommendation on the use of chlorhexidine.
Chlorhexidine digluconate is a broad spectrum antiseptic. Its mechanism of action involves destabilization of the outer bacterial membrane. It is effective on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, although it is less effective with some Gram-negative bacteria.It has both bactericidal and bacteriostatic mechanisms of action, the mechanism of action being membrane disruption, not ATPase inactivation as previously thought.It is also useful against fungi and enveloped viruses, though this has not been extensively investigated. Chlorhexidine is harmful in high concentrations, but is used safely in low concentrations in many products, such as mouthwash and contact lens solutions.