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Potential Use of Alginate-Based Carriers As Antifungal Delivery System

Cristina de Castro Spadari1, Luciana B Lopes2, Kelly Ishida1

  • 1Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|February 15, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Alginate-based drug delivery systems show promise for treating fungal infections. These systems improve antifungal efficacy, reduce toxicity, and enhance bioavailability, offering a better alternative to conventional treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Fungal infections pose a significant global health challenge, exacerbated by rising immunocompromised populations.
  • Current antifungal therapies face limitations including toxicity, poor bioavailability, drug resistance, and high costs.
  • Novel drug delivery systems are crucial for overcoming these therapeutic hurdles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential and advantages of using alginate-based nanocarriers and other delivery systems for antifungal agents.
  • To highlight alginate's properties that make it suitable for advanced drug delivery applications.
  • To discuss the impact of these systems on antifungal therapy effectiveness and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on alginate-based drug delivery systems for antifungal agents.
  • Analysis of studies reporting *in vitro* and *in vivo* results of alginate-encapsulated antifungals.
  • Evaluation of alginate's physicochemical and biological properties relevant to drug delivery.

Main Results:

  • Alginate's non-toxicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, low cost, and mucoadhesive properties make it an ideal natural polymer for drug carriers.
  • Alginate-based micro and nanoparticles successfully incorporated various antifungal agents.
  • These systems demonstrated enhanced *in vitro* and *in vivo* antifungal activity, reduced toxicity, and improved drug bioavailability.

Conclusions:

  • Alginate-based delivery systems represent a promising strategy for developing more effective and safer antifungal therapies.
  • These advanced formulations can overcome limitations of conventional antifungal treatments.
  • Further research into alginate nanocarriers can significantly impact the management of fungal infections.
Keywords:
alginateamphotericin Bantifungaldrug delivery systemsnanoparticles

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