Electrospun PVP Nanofibrous Co-Loaded with Miconazole and Lidocaine for the Treatment of Oral Candidiasis.

INTRODUCTION

Oral candidiasis caused by Candida albicans is common among immunocompromised individuals. Conventional topical dosage forms have several limitations, including imprecise dosing, rapid salivary clearance, short residence time at the site of application, and inconsistent therapeutic efficacy.

RATIONALE: To overcome these challenges, this study developed an electrospun nanofibrous patch for localized co-delivery of miconazole (MZ) and lidocaine (LD) to oral mucosa. MZ and LD were co-encapsulated in electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers and evaluated for morphology, drug loading, release profile, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), cytotoxicity, and in vivo antifungal efficacy.

RESULTS

Scanning electron microscopy showed smooth fibers with an average diameter of 490 ± 122nm. Drug loading values were 41 µg/mg for LD and 46 µg/mg for MZ. Release studies demonstrated rapid LD release, with approximately 70% released within the first few minutes and complete release after 30 minutes. In contrast, MZ reached about 95% cumulative release within 120 minutes. The MZ/LD combination (1:1) showed potent antifungal activity, with an MIC of 0.004 μg/mL and an inhibition zone of 20 ± 1 mm. No in vitro cytotoxicity was observed at concentrations of < 16 µg/mL for MZ, < 1250 µg/mL for LD, and < 16 and 78 µg/mL for MZ and LD, respectively, for their combination. In a murine oral candidiasis model, MZ/LD-loaded nanofibers significantly (p< 0.0001) reduced fungal burden to 22 CFU/mL and improved tongue lesion scores compared with MZ-loaded nanofibers alone (1100 CFU/mL) and the commercial MZ formulation.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate that the developed dual-drug nanofibrous system is a safe and promising localized delivery system for treating oral candidiasis.