Abstract

Objectives

Developing a hydrogel containing tea tree oil (TTO) encapsulated in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) to treat oropharyngeal candidiasis.

Methods

Initially, the TTO chemical composition was evaluated. Next, SLNs containing TTO (TTO-SLNs) were produced and characterized. The TTO-SLNs were incorporated into a hydrogel, and the antifungal activity against Candida spp. was analysed. Finally, the ex vivo permeation was assessed.

Key findings

The chemical composition of TTO met ISO 4730:2017 standards. The TTO-SLNs were spherical and had a Z-average, PdI, ZP and entrapment efficiency of 135.90 ± 6.65 nm, 0.19 ± 0.04, −31.07 ± 1.05 mV and 92.74% ± 0.01%, respectively. Moreover, TTO-SLNs were stable (no changes in Z-average and PdI) for at least 120 days. In the cytotoxicity evaluation, the samples were considered cytotoxic at the following concentrations: TTO: 125–1000 µg/ml, TTO-SLN: 348–5568 µg/ml of TTO and the control nanoparticle was not cytotoxic. Both TTO-SLNs and the hydrogel containing TTO-SLNs demonstrated fungicidal action against all Candida spp., whilst for TTO, it was found only against C. albicans. The percentage of TTO permeation was 70.52%.

Conclusions

The hydrogel loaded with TTO-SLNs is a promising tool for TTO delivery, aiming at activity against C. albicans for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis.

Details

Title

Improved anti-Candida activity of hydrogel containing tea tree oil-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis

Author

Hanny Reis Mockdeci¹; Laura Andrade Junqueira¹; Lucas Mattos Duarte²; Carolina Paula de Souza Moreira³; Marcone Augusto Leal de Oliveira²; Marcos Antônio Fernandes Brandão¹; Guilherme Diniz Tavares⁴; Nádia Rezende Barbosa Raposo¹

¹ Núcleo de Pesquisa e Inovação em Ciências da Saúde (NUPICS), Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora , Juiz de Fora, MG , Brazil
² Group of Analytical Chemistry and Chemometrics, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Exact Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora , Juiz de Fora, MG , Brazil
³ Serviço de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico Farmacêutico, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Eziquiel Dias , Belo Horizonte, MG , Brazil
⁴ Laboratory of Nanostructured Systems Development, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora , Juiz de Fora, MG , Brazil

Publication year

2023

Publication date

Jan 2023

Publisher

Oxford University Press

e-ISSN

27545849

Source type

Scholarly Journal

Language of publication

English

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpsppr/rqac010

ProQuest document ID

3191356875

© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.