Activity of Experimental Mouthwashes and Gels Containing DNA-RNA and Bioactive Molecules against the Oxidative Stress of Oral Soft Tissues: The Importance of Formulations. A Bioreactor-Based Reconstituted Human Oral Epithelium Model

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 26; no. 10; p. 2976
• Main Authors: Ionescu, Andrei C, Vezzoli, Elena, Conte, Vincenzo, Sartori, Patrizia, Procacci, Patrizia, Brambilla, Eugenio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 17.05.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Allantoin; bioactive compounds; Biocompatibility; Biological activity; Bioreactors; Bioreactors - microbiology; Cell growth; Confocal microscopy; Continuous flow; Cytotoxicity; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA - pharmacology; Epithelium; Epithelium - drug effects; Epithelium - metabolism; Essential oils; Evaluation; excipients; Formulations; Gels; Gels - pharmacology; Genetic Engineering - methods; Glucan; Humans; Hyaluronic acid; Hydrogen peroxide; In vitro methods and tests; Light microscopy; Lipids; Membranes; Microscopy; Mouth Mucosa - drug effects; Mouth Mucosa - metabolism; mouthwash; Mouthwashes; Mouthwashes - metabolism; Mouthwashes - pharmacology; Optical microscopy; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; RNA; RNA - pharmacology; Soft tissues; surfactants; β-Glucan; surfactants; RNA; mouthwash; DNA; bioactive compounds; oral gels; bioreactors; excipients; oxidative stress; reconstituted oral epithelium
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules26102976

DNA-RNA compounds have shown promising protection against cell oxidative stress. This study aimed to assess the cytotoxicity, protective, or preventive effect of different experimental formulations on oral epithelia's oxidative stress in vitro. Reconstituted human oral epithelia (RHOE) were grown air-lifted in a continuous-flow bioreactor. Mouthwashes and gels containing DNA-RNA compounds and other bioactive molecules were tested on a model of oxidative stress generated by hydrogen peroxide treatment. Epithelia viability was evaluated using a biochemical MTT-based assay and confocal microscopy; structural and ultrastructural morphology was evaluated by light microscopy and TEM. DNA-RNA showed non-cytotoxic activity and effectively protected against oxidative stress, but did not help in its prevention. Gel formulations did not express adequate activity compared to the mouthwashes. Excipients played a fundamental role in enhancing or even decreasing the bioactive molecules' effect. A mouthwash formulation with hydrolyzed DNA-RNA effectively protected against oxidative stress without additional enhancement by other bioactive molecules. Active compounds, such as hyaluronic acid, β-Glucan, allantoin, bisabolol, ruscogenin, and essential oils, showed a protective effect against oxidative stress, which was not synergistic with the one of DNA-RNA. Incorporation of surfactant agents showed a reduced, yet significant, cytotoxic effect.