Evaluation of photodynamic therapy on nanoparticles and films loaded-nanoparticles based on chitosan/alginate for curcumin delivery in oral biofilms.

Nanoparticles and nanoparticle-loaded films based on chitosan/sodium alginate with curcumin (CUR) are promising strategies to improve the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) for the treatment of oral biofilms. This work aimed to develop and evaluate the nanoparticles based on chitosan and sodium alginate encapsulated with CUR dispersed in polymeric films associated with aPDT in oral biofilms. The NPs were obtained by polyelectrolytic complexation, and the films were prepared by solvent evaporation. The photodynamic effect was evaluated by counting Colony Forming Units (CFU/mL). Both systems showed adequate characterization parameters for CUR release. Nanoparticles controlled the release of CUR for a longer period than the nanoparticle-loaded films in simulated saliva media. Control and CUR-loaded nanoparticles showed a significant reduction of 3 log10 CFU/mL against S. mutans biofilms, compared to treatment without light. However, biofilms of S. mutans showed no photoinactivation effect using films loaded with nanoparticles even in the presence of light. These results demonstrate the potential of chitosan/sodium alginate nanoparticles associated with aPDT as carriers for the oral delivery of CUR, offering new possibilities to improve the treatment of dental caries and infections. This work will contribute to advances in the search for innovative delivery systems in dentistry.

Exploiting Polymeric Films as a Multipurpose Drug Delivery System: a Review.

Polymeric films are drug delivery systems that maintain contact with the delivery tissue and sustain a controlled release of therapeutic molecules. These systems allow a longer time of drug contact with the target site in the case of topical treatments and allow the controlled administration of drugs. They can be manufactured by various methods such as solvent casting, hot melt extrusion, electrospinning, and 3D bioprinting. Furthermore, they can employ various polymers, for example PVP, PVA, cellulose derivatives, chitosan, gelling gum, pectin, and alginate. Its versatility is also applicable to different routes of administration, as it can be administered to the skin, oral mucosa, vaginal canal, and eyeballs. All these factors allow numerous combinations to obtain a better treatment. This review focuses on exploring some possible ways to develop them and some particularities and advantages/disadvantages in each case. It also aims to show the versatility of these systems and the advantages and disadvantages in each case, as they bring the opportunity to develop different medicines to facilitate therapies for the most diverse purposes .

The role of polysaccharides from natural resources to design oral insulin micro- and nanoparticles intended for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus: A review.

Oral administration of insulin (INS) would represent a revolution in the treatment of diabetes, considering that this route mimics the physiological dynamics of endogenous INS. Nano- and microencapsulation exploiting the advantageous polysaccharides properties has been considered an important technological strategy to protect INS against harsh conditions of gastrointestinal tract, in the same time that improve the permeability via transcellular and/or paracellular pathways, safety and in some cases even selectivity for targeting delivery of INS. In fact, some polysaccharides also give to the systems functional properties such as pH-responsiveness, mucoadhesiveness under specific physiological conditions and increased intestinal permeability. In general, all polysaccharides can be functionalized with specific molecules becoming more selective to the cells to which INS is delivered. The present review highlights the advances in the past 10 years on micro- and nanoencapsulation of INS exploiting the unique natural properties of polysaccharides, including chitosan, starch, alginate, pectin, and dextran, among others.

Current applications of drug delivery nanosystems associated with antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for oral infections.

The oral cavity is colonized by several species of microorganisms that can cause dental caries, periodontal diseases, candidiasis, endodontic infections, and, among other diseases related to the dental field. Conventional treatment consists of mechanical removal associated with systemic administration of antimicrobials, which can cause various side effects and microbial resistance. In this context, alternative therapies have been developed, including Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT). For the improvement of therapy, the implementation of nanotechnology is very important to optimize the delivery system of the dyes or photosensitizers on biological targets. Besides, this combination provides a non-invasive treatment, better solubility and bioavailability, delivery to the target site, controlled release and protection against external and physical-chemical factors, low side effects, and, unlikely resistant species. Although, there are numerous researches on aPDT and nanotechnology, few review articles based on the combination of these three aspects: nanosystems, aPDT and oral infections are available. For this reason, this article aims to discuss the advances and advantages of this combination. Therefore, this article was divided into different types of nanosystems (organic and inorganic nanoparticles) associated with aPDT bringing a description of it is definitions, properties, and, applications in oral infections.