Pullulan film incorporated with nanocapsules improves pomegranate seed oil anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in mice
This study aimed to prepare pullulan films containing pomegranate seeds oil (PSO) based nanocapsules, and evaluate the formulation efficacy in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD)-like lesions induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). The Eudragit RS 100® nanocapsules (PSONC) were prepared by the interfacial precipitation of preformed polymer, whereas the films were produced by the solvent casting method. Pomegranate seed oil nanoemulsions (PSONE) were prepared by the spontaneous emulsification method for comparative reasons.
Highlights
Pullulan nano-based pomegranate seed oil (PSO) film for cutaneous application was developed.
The prepared films formulations were flexible and highly occlusive.
Films with free PSO and PSO nanocapsules attenuated skin injury and mechanical hypernociception.
Only the PSONCF treatment modulated the inflammatory and oxidative parameters.
Both nanosystems presented adequate mean diameter (248 ± 16 nm for PSONE and 181 ± 6 nm for PSONC), polydispersity index (below 0.2), zeta potential (-25.63 ± 1.1 mV for PSONE and + 43.13 ± 0.7 mV for PSONC) and pH in the acid range (6.77 ± 0.27 and 5.31 ± 0.17, PSONE and PSONC). By a pre-formulation study, sorbitol (6.5%) and PEG 400 (1.5%) were considered the most suitable plasticizers for developing pullulan films (6%) intending topical application. In general, pullulan films were classified as flexible and hydrophilic, with high occlusive properties, 57.6 ± 0.8%, 64.6 ± 0.8% for vehicle, PSONCF (pullulan film containing PSONC), respectively. All formulations (films and nanocarriers) presented no irritant potential in the chorioallantoic membrane test.
In the in vivo model, the treatments with free PSO and PSONCF attenuated the skin injury as well as the mechanical hypernociceptive behavioral induced by DNCB exposure to mice. Importantly, the biochemical analyses provided evidence that only the treatment with PSONCF modulated the inflammatory and the oxidative stress parameters evaluated in this study. In conclusion, these data lead us to believe that PSONC incorporation into a pullulan film matrix improved the biological properties of the PSO in this AD-model.
Article information: Verônica Ferrari Cervi, Camila Parcianello Saccol, Marcel Henrique Marcondes Sari, Carolina Cristóvão Martins, Lucas Saldanha da Rosa, Bruna Dias Ilha, Fábio Zovico Soares, Cristiane Luchese, Ethel Antunes Wilhelm, Letícia Cruz, Pullulan film incorporated with nanocapsules improves pomegranate seed oil anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in mice, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Volume 609, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.121144.