Curcumin-Loaded Liquid Crystalline Systems for Controlled Drug Release and Improved Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

RODERO, CAMILA FERNANDA; FIORAMONTI CALIXTO, GIOVANA MARIA; CRISTINA DOS SANTOS, KAREN; SATO, MARIANA RILLO; APARECIDO DOS SANTOS RAMOS, MATHEUS; MIRÓ, MARIA SOLEDAD; RODRÍGUEZ, EMILSE; VIGEZZI, CECILIA; BAUAB, TAIS MARIA; SOTOMAYOR, CLAUDIA ELENA; CHORILLI, MARLUS

MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2018 vol. 15 p. 4491 - 4491

1543-8384

ulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is the most common infection caused by Candida albicans and greatly reduces the quality of life of women affected by it. Due to the ineffectiveness of conventional treatments, there is growing interest in research involving compounds of natural origin. One such compound is curcumin (CUR), which has been proven to be effective against this microorganism. However, some of CUR´s physicochemical properties, especially its low aqueous solubility, make the therapeutic application of this compound difficult. Thus, the incorporation of CUR in mucoadhesive liquid crystalline systems (MLCSs) for vaginal administration may be an efficient strategy for the treatment of VVC. MLCSs are capable of potentiating the compound´s action, releasing it in a controlled manner, and can enable longer exposure at the site of infection. In this study, MLCSs consisting of oleic acid and ergosterol 5:1 (w/w) as the oily phase, PPG-5-CETETH-20 as the surfactant, and a polymer dispersi