Improved in vitro and in vivo Anti- Candida albicans Activity of Cymbopogon nardus Essential Oil by Its Incorporation into a Microemulsion System

• Published in: International journal of nanomedicine Vol. 15; pp. 10481 - 10497
• Main Authors: Gaspar de Toledo, Luciani, Dos Santos Ramos, Matheus Aparecido, Bento da Silva, Patrícia, Rodero, Camila Fernanda, de Sá Gomes, Veridiana, Noronha da Silva, Anderson, Pavan, Fernando Rogério, da Silva, Isabel Cristiane, Bombarda Oda, Fernando, Flumignan, Danilo Luis, Gonzaga Dos Santos, André, Chorilli, Marlus, Gottardo de Almeida, Margarete Teresa, Bauab, Taís Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Amphotericin B - pharmacology; Analytical chemistry; Animals; Antifungal agents; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Artemia - drug effects; Candida albicans - drug effects; Cells; Chromatography; citronella; Cymbopogon - chemistry; Drug delivery systems; Drug resistance; Emulsions - chemistry; Ergosterol - pharmacology; Female; HaCaT Cells; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; Humans; Infection; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Lasers; Mass spectrometry; Medicinal plants; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microemulsions; Microscopy; Mycoses; nanostructured lipid system; Nanotechnology; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Original Research; Particle Size; Rheology; Scientific imaging; Seeds; Static Electricity; Surfactants; therapeutic treatment; Toxicity Tests; Vagina; vulvovaginal candidiasis; Womens health; Brazil; Japan; United States > US; therapeutic treatment; citronella; vulvovaginal candidiasis; nanostructured lipid system
• ISSN: 1178-2013; 1176-9114; 1178-2013
• DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S275258

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an opportunistic fungal infection that adversely affects a woman's health, due to unpleasant symptoms, therapeutic challenges, and the emergence of resistant strains. The association of natural products and nanotechnology is important to improve the antifungal potential of medicinal plants. We aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anti- activity of unloaded (EO) and loaded (ME+EO) essential oil of in the microemulsion (ME). The chemical analysis of the EO was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ME and ME+EO were characterized by scattering, zeta potential, polarized light microscopy, rheological assays, mucoadhesiveness and transmission electronic microscopy. The in vitro antifungal activity of the EO and ME+EO were evaluated by microdilution technique. The toxicity of EO and ME+EO was analyzed on human cell line HaCat and using alternative model assay with . The experimental in vivo VVC was performed in female mice (C57BL/6). The main compounds of the EO were found to be citronellal, geranial, geraniol, citronellol, and neral. The formulations exhibited suitable size, homogeneity, negative charge, isotropic behavior, highly organized structure, and pseudoplastic behavior, for vaginal application. TEM photomicrographs showed possible EO droplets inside the spherical structures. The EO, when loaded into the ME, exhibited an improvement in its antifungal action against . The EO was not toxic against brine shrimp nauplii. An in vivo VVC assay showed that the use of the ME significantly improved the action of the EO, since only the ME+EO promoted the eradication of the fungal vaginal infection on the third day of treatment. The EO and ME+EO are promising alternatives for the control of fungal infections caused by , once the use of nanotechnology significantly improved the antifungal action of the EO, especially in an in vivo model of VVC.