title: Influence of unmodified and β-glycerophosphate cross-linked chitosan on anti-Candida activity of clotrimazole in semi-solid delivery systems.
abstract: The combination of an antifungal agent and drug carrier with adjunctive antimicrobial properties represents novel strategy of complex therapy in pharmaceutical technology. The goal of this study was to investigate the unmodified and ion cross-linked chitosan's influence on anti-Candida activity of clotrimazole used as a model drug in hydrogels. It was particularly crucial to explore whether the chitosans' structure modification by β-glycerophosphate altered its antifungal properties. Antifungal studies (performed by plate diffusion method according to CLSI reference protocol) revealed that hydrogels obtained with chitosan/β-glycerophosphate displayed lower anti-Candida effect, probably as a result of weakened polycationic properties of chitosan in the presence of ion cross-linker. Designed chitosan hydrogels with clotrimazole were found to be more efficient against tested Candida strains and showed more favorable drug release profile compared to commercially available product. These observations indicate that novel chitosan formulations may be considered as promising semi-solid delivery system of clotrimazole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2c, 15-222 Białystok, Poland. esz@umb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szymańska
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2c, 15-222 Białystok, Poland. kwin@umb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winnicka
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological Diagnostics and Infectious Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, Kilińskiego 1, 15-089 Białystok, Poland. piowie@umb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological Diagnostics and Infectious Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, Kilińskiego 1, 15-089 Białystok, Poland. sachpt@umb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Paweł Tomasz
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Sacha
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological Diagnostics and Infectious Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Białystok, Kilińskiego 1, 15-089 Białystok, Poland. zdmik@umb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Elżbieta Anna
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tryniszewska
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D003022:Clotrimazole / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D020100:Hydrogels; D048271:Chitosan; D003022:Clotrimazole