Eur J Pharm Sci. 2024 Apr 13. pii: S0928-0987(24)00077-0. [Epub ahead of print]197 106766
Daniela Pastorim Vaiss,
Jamile Lima Rodrigues,
Virginia Campello Yurgel,
Frank do Carmo Guedes,
Lauanda Larissa Mendonça da Matta,
Paula Alice Bezerra Barros,
Gustavo Richter Vaz,
Raíssa Nunes Dos Santos,
Bibiana Franzen Matte,
Larine Kupski,
Jaqueline Garda-Buffon,
Juliana Bidone,
Ana Luiza Muccillo-Baisch,
Fabio Sonvico,
Cristiana Lima Dora.
One of the most frequent causes of respiratory infections are viruses. Viruses reaching the airways can be absorbed by the human body through the respiratory mucosa and mainly infect lung cells. Several viral infections are not yet curable, such as coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Furthermore, the side effect of synthetic antiviral drugs and reduced efficacy against resistant variants have reinforced the search for alternative and effective treatment options, such as plant-derived antiviral molecules. Curcumin (CUR) and quercetin (QUE) are two natural compounds that have been widely studied for their health benefits, such as antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity. However, poor oral bioavailability limits the clinical applications of these natural compounds. In this work, nanoemulsions (NE) co-encapsulating CUR and QUE designed for nasal administration were developed as promising prophylactic and therapeutic treatments for viral respiratory infections. The NEs were prepared by high-pressure homogenization combined with the phase inversion temperature technique and evaluated for their physical and chemical characteristics. In vitro assays were performed to evaluate the nanoemulsion retention into the porcine nasal mucosa. In addition, the CUR and QUE-loaded NE antiviral activity was tested against a murine β-COV, namely MHV-3. The results evidenced that CUR and QUE loaded NE had a particle size of 400 nm and retention in the porcine nasal mucosa. The antiviral activity of the NEs showed a percentage of inhibition of around 99 %, indicating that the developed NEs has interesting properties as a therapeutic and prophylactic treatment against viral respiratory infections.
Keywords: Antiviral natural compounds; Co-encapsulation; Curcumin; Quercetin; SARS-CoV2