Microbicidal Polymer Nanoparticles Containing Clotrimazole for Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) alters the innate cervicovaginal immunity, which provides an important barrier against viruses and other infections. The incidence of this disease has not decreased in the last 30 years, so effective treatments are still needed. Nanoparticles (NPs) of cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) and clotrimazole (CLZ) were prepared by the emulsification-diffusion method. NPs were characterized using dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry; their release profile was determined by the dialysis bag technique and mucoadhesion was evaluated with the mucin-particle method. The growth inhibition study of Candida albicans was carried out using the plate counting technique. Finally, accelerated physical stability tests of NPs were carried out, both in water and in SVF. The CAP-CLZ NPs had an average diameter of 273.4 nm, a PDI of 0.284, smooth surfaces and spherical shapes. In vitro release of CLZ from the CAP NPs was categorized with the Weibull model as a matrix system in which initial release was rapid and subsequently sustained. The inhibition of C. albicans growth by the CAP-CLZ NPs was greater than that of free CLZ, and the CAP-only NPs had a microbicidal effect on C. albicans. The NPs showed poor mucoadhesiveness, which could lead to studies of their mucopenetration capacities. An accelerated physical stability test revealed the erosion of CAP in aqueous media. A nanoparticulate system was developed and provided sustained release of CLZ, and it combined an antifungal agent with a microbial polymer that exhibited antifungal activity against C. albicans.