Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels

Gold nanoparticles have been identified as a promising avenue for the development of drug carriers, particularly in the context of antimicrobial drug delivery, where limited solubility represents a significant challenge. The ability of gold nanoparticles to penetrate biofilms and disrupt fungal cell...

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Main Authors: Radosław Balwierz, Paweł Biernat, Dawid Bursy, Mariia Shanaida, Katarzyna Kasperkiewicz, Agata Jasińska-Balwierz, Wioletta Ochędzan-Siodłak
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11125
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author Radosław Balwierz
Paweł Biernat
Dawid Bursy
Mariia Shanaida
Katarzyna Kasperkiewicz
Agata Jasińska-Balwierz
Wioletta Ochędzan-Siodłak
author_facet Radosław Balwierz
Paweł Biernat
Dawid Bursy
Mariia Shanaida
Katarzyna Kasperkiewicz
Agata Jasińska-Balwierz
Wioletta Ochędzan-Siodłak
author_sort Radosław Balwierz
collection DOAJ
description Gold nanoparticles have been identified as a promising avenue for the development of drug carriers, particularly in the context of antimicrobial drug delivery, where limited solubility represents a significant challenge. The ability of gold nanoparticles to penetrate biofilms and disrupt fungal cell membranes makes them an effective tool to support antifungal therapy, especially against resistant strains. Gold nanoparticles also demonstrate synergistic effects with chemotherapeutics and can influence the release profile of the active substances. This study aimed to develop a topical hydrogel drug formulation containing itraconazole (ITZ), with the addition of gold nanoparticles, to enhance its therapeutic properties. Due to ITZ’s poor water solubility, three types of the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of different sizes were synthesized and subsequently coated with itraconazole. The resulting formulations were incorporated into carbopol gels and their ability to diffuse through semipermeable membranes was assessed. The findings demonstrated that the combination of gold nanoparticles and itraconazole elevated the diffusion coefficient to twice the level observed in gels without nanoparticles. Furthermore, the combined effect of gold nanoparticles and itraconazole against a reference <i>Candida albicans</i> strain was investigated. The combination of gold nanoparticles and itraconazole demonstrated a growth-inhibitory effect on this strain, indicating that this formulation could potentially be employed in the treatment of fungal infections. The study confirms that hydrogels with itraconazole and gold nanoparticles can be obtained, offering enhanced drug diffusion.
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spelling doaj-art-3e4276bdf49143c7ab9aba094eaac8ab2025-08-20T02:50:18ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-11-0114231112510.3390/app142311125Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from HydrogelsRadosław Balwierz0Paweł Biernat1Dawid Bursy2Mariia Shanaida3Katarzyna Kasperkiewicz4Agata Jasińska-Balwierz5Wioletta Ochędzan-Siodłak6Institute of Chemistry, University of Opole, Oleska St. 48, 45-052 Opole, PolandDepartment of Drug Forms Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska St. 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Drug Forms Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska St. 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Pharmacognosy and Medical Botany, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, 46001 Ternopil, UkraineFaculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellonska St. 28, 40-032 Katowice, PolandDepartment of Pharmacology, Academy of Silesia, 40-555 Katowice, PolandInstitute of Chemistry, University of Opole, Oleska St. 48, 45-052 Opole, PolandGold nanoparticles have been identified as a promising avenue for the development of drug carriers, particularly in the context of antimicrobial drug delivery, where limited solubility represents a significant challenge. The ability of gold nanoparticles to penetrate biofilms and disrupt fungal cell membranes makes them an effective tool to support antifungal therapy, especially against resistant strains. Gold nanoparticles also demonstrate synergistic effects with chemotherapeutics and can influence the release profile of the active substances. This study aimed to develop a topical hydrogel drug formulation containing itraconazole (ITZ), with the addition of gold nanoparticles, to enhance its therapeutic properties. Due to ITZ’s poor water solubility, three types of the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of different sizes were synthesized and subsequently coated with itraconazole. The resulting formulations were incorporated into carbopol gels and their ability to diffuse through semipermeable membranes was assessed. The findings demonstrated that the combination of gold nanoparticles and itraconazole elevated the diffusion coefficient to twice the level observed in gels without nanoparticles. Furthermore, the combined effect of gold nanoparticles and itraconazole against a reference <i>Candida albicans</i> strain was investigated. The combination of gold nanoparticles and itraconazole demonstrated a growth-inhibitory effect on this strain, indicating that this formulation could potentially be employed in the treatment of fungal infections. The study confirms that hydrogels with itraconazole and gold nanoparticles can be obtained, offering enhanced drug diffusion.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11125itraconazolehydrogelsanti-candidal activitydiffusion processgold nanoparticles
spellingShingle Radosław Balwierz
Paweł Biernat
Dawid Bursy
Mariia Shanaida
Katarzyna Kasperkiewicz
Agata Jasińska-Balwierz
Wioletta Ochędzan-Siodłak
Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels
Applied Sciences
itraconazole
hydrogels
anti-candidal activity
diffusion process
gold nanoparticles
title Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels
title_full Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels
title_fullStr Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels
title_short Effect of Adding Gold Nanoparticles on the Anti-Candidal Activity and Release Profile of Itraconazole from Hydrogels
title_sort effect of adding gold nanoparticles on the anti candidal activity and release profile of itraconazole from hydrogels
topic itraconazole
hydrogels
anti-candidal activity
diffusion process
gold nanoparticles
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11125
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