The objectives of this study were to determine the physicochemical property, drug releasing pattern,
and antibacterial efficacy of silk suture soaked in chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX). The 3/0 black silk sutures
were immersed in 0.12 % or 0.20 % CHX for 24 hour. Then, the sutures were prepared by either dried at room
temperature (dry preparation) or stored in the CHX (wet preparation) and compared to the control untreated
silk suture in the aspect of the physicochemical property (tensile strength, surface morphology, porosity, and
existence of CHX), drug releasing pattern, and antimicrobial activity. Results showed that CHX-soaked silk
sutures exhibited greater diameter and average pore size compare to the control. There was no significant
difference of the tensile strength between CHX-soaked silk suture and control group. FTIR and EDX showed
CHX deposition on the surface and interstices of silk and burst release in first 24 hours before slow release
until the 7th day with no statistical significance between CHX groups. Antimicrobial efficacy was higher for wetthan
dry- preparation of CHX-soaked silk suture (p<0.05), while there was no significant difference between
the concentrations used. In conclusion, soaked silk suture with 0.12 % or 0.20 % CHX could accumulate and
release the CHX until the 7th day without compromising the physical properties of the sutures. The wet preparation
showed better antimicrobial property without the difference between the 0.12 % or 0.2 % concentration.