Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties

Buccal drug delivery systems often struggle with poor drug solubility, limited adhesion, and rapid clearance, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. To address these limitations, we developed a novel hybrid eutectogel composed of xanthan gum (XTG), hyaluronic acid (HA), and a Natural Deep Eutec...

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Main Authors: Valentina Anuța, Mihaela-Alexandra Nica, Răzvan-Mihai Prisada, Lăcrămioara Popa, Bruno Ștefan Velescu, Ioana Cristina Marinas, Diana-Madalina Gaboreanu, Mihaela Violeta Ghica, Florentina Iuliana Cocoș, Cristian Andi Nicolae, Cristina-Elena Dinu-Pîrvu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Gels
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/11/3/208
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author Valentina Anuța
Mihaela-Alexandra Nica
Răzvan-Mihai Prisada
Lăcrămioara Popa
Bruno Ștefan Velescu
Ioana Cristina Marinas
Diana-Madalina Gaboreanu
Mihaela Violeta Ghica
Florentina Iuliana Cocoș
Cristian Andi Nicolae
Cristina-Elena Dinu-Pîrvu
author_facet Valentina Anuța
Mihaela-Alexandra Nica
Răzvan-Mihai Prisada
Lăcrămioara Popa
Bruno Ștefan Velescu
Ioana Cristina Marinas
Diana-Madalina Gaboreanu
Mihaela Violeta Ghica
Florentina Iuliana Cocoș
Cristian Andi Nicolae
Cristina-Elena Dinu-Pîrvu
author_sort Valentina Anuța
collection DOAJ
description Buccal drug delivery systems often struggle with poor drug solubility, limited adhesion, and rapid clearance, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. To address these limitations, we developed a novel hybrid eutectogel composed of xanthan gum (XTG), hyaluronic acid (HA), and a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) system (choline chloride, sorbitol, and glycerol in 2:1:1 mole ratio), incorporating 2.5% ibuprofen (IBU) as a model drug. The formulation was optimized using a face-centered central composite design to enhance the rheological, textural, and drug release properties. The optimized eutectogels exhibited shear-thinning behavior (flow behavior index, <i>n</i> = 0.26 ± 0.01), high mucoadhesion (adhesiveness: 2.297 ± 0.142 N·s), and sustained drug release over 24 h, governed by Higuchi kinetics (release rate: 237.34 ± 13.61 μg/cm<sup>2</sup>/min<sup>1/2</sup>). The ex vivo residence time increased substantially with NADES incorporation, reaching up to 176.7 ± 23.1 min. An in vivo anti-inflammatory evaluation showed that the eutectogel reduced λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema within 1 h and that its efficacy was sustained in the kaolin model up to 24 h (<i>p</i> < 0.05), achieving comparable efficacy to a commercial 5% IBU gel, despite a lower drug concentration. Additionally, the eutectogel presented a minimum inhibitory concentration for Gram-positive bacteria of 25 mg/mL, and through direct contact, it reduced microbial viability by up to 100%. Its efficacy against <i>Bacillus cereus</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, and <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, combined with its significant anti-inflammatory properties, positions the NADES-based eutectogel as a promising multifunctional platform for buccal drug delivery, particularly for inflammatory conditions complicated by bacterial infections.
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spelling doaj-art-db4b4cfa2a5b4862b4895cf915bc9cd42025-08-20T02:11:19ZengMDPI AGGels2310-28612025-03-0111320810.3390/gels11030208Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial PropertiesValentina Anuța0Mihaela-Alexandra Nica1Răzvan-Mihai Prisada2Lăcrămioara Popa3Bruno Ștefan Velescu4Ioana Cristina Marinas5Diana-Madalina Gaboreanu6Mihaela Violeta Ghica7Florentina Iuliana Cocoș8Cristian Andi Nicolae9Cristina-Elena Dinu-Pîrvu10Department of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaInnovative Therapeutic Structures Research and Development Centre (InnoTher), “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaResearch Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 91–95 Spl. Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, RomaniaResearch Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, University of Bucharest, 91–95 Spl. Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM Bucharest, 202 Spl. Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Physical and Colloidal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Traian Vuia Street, 020956 Bucharest, RomaniaBuccal drug delivery systems often struggle with poor drug solubility, limited adhesion, and rapid clearance, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. To address these limitations, we developed a novel hybrid eutectogel composed of xanthan gum (XTG), hyaluronic acid (HA), and a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) system (choline chloride, sorbitol, and glycerol in 2:1:1 mole ratio), incorporating 2.5% ibuprofen (IBU) as a model drug. The formulation was optimized using a face-centered central composite design to enhance the rheological, textural, and drug release properties. The optimized eutectogels exhibited shear-thinning behavior (flow behavior index, <i>n</i> = 0.26 ± 0.01), high mucoadhesion (adhesiveness: 2.297 ± 0.142 N·s), and sustained drug release over 24 h, governed by Higuchi kinetics (release rate: 237.34 ± 13.61 μg/cm<sup>2</sup>/min<sup>1/2</sup>). The ex vivo residence time increased substantially with NADES incorporation, reaching up to 176.7 ± 23.1 min. An in vivo anti-inflammatory evaluation showed that the eutectogel reduced λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema within 1 h and that its efficacy was sustained in the kaolin model up to 24 h (<i>p</i> < 0.05), achieving comparable efficacy to a commercial 5% IBU gel, despite a lower drug concentration. Additionally, the eutectogel presented a minimum inhibitory concentration for Gram-positive bacteria of 25 mg/mL, and through direct contact, it reduced microbial viability by up to 100%. Its efficacy against <i>Bacillus cereus</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecium</i>, and <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, combined with its significant anti-inflammatory properties, positions the NADES-based eutectogel as a promising multifunctional platform for buccal drug delivery, particularly for inflammatory conditions complicated by bacterial infections.https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/11/3/208eutectogelsNatural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES)buccal drug deliverymucosal drug deliveryxanthan gumhyaluronic acid
spellingShingle Valentina Anuța
Mihaela-Alexandra Nica
Răzvan-Mihai Prisada
Lăcrămioara Popa
Bruno Ștefan Velescu
Ioana Cristina Marinas
Diana-Madalina Gaboreanu
Mihaela Violeta Ghica
Florentina Iuliana Cocoș
Cristian Andi Nicolae
Cristina-Elena Dinu-Pîrvu
Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
Gels
eutectogels
Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES)
buccal drug delivery
mucosal drug delivery
xanthan gum
hyaluronic acid
title Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
title_full Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
title_fullStr Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
title_full_unstemmed Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
title_short Novel Buccal Xanthan Gum–Hyaluronic Acid Eutectogels with Dual Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
title_sort novel buccal xanthan gum hyaluronic acid eutectogels with dual anti inflammatory and antimicrobial properties
topic eutectogels
Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES)
buccal drug delivery
mucosal drug delivery
xanthan gum
hyaluronic acid
url https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/11/3/208
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