Influence of Lactobacillus Biosurfactants on Skin Permeation of Hydrocortisone

Potential of biosurfactant as green pharmaceutical excipients for coating of microneedles: A mini review

Microneedles, a novel transdermal delivery system, were designed to improve drug delivery and address the challenges typically encountered with traditional injection practices. Discovering new and safe excipients for microneedle coating to replace existing chemical surfactants is advantageous to minimize their side effect on viable tissues. However, some side effects have also been observed for this application. The vast majority of studies suggest that using synthetic surfactants in microneedle formulations may result in skin irritation among other adverse effects. Hence, increasing knowledge about these components and their potential impacts on skin paves the way for finding preventive strategies to improve their application safety and potential efficacy. Biosurfactants, which are naturally produced surface active microbial products, are proposed as an alternative to synthetic surfactants with reduced side effects. The current review sheds light on potential and regulatory aspects of biosurfactants as safe excipients in the coating of microneedles.

Harnessing the Potential of Biosurfactants for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Biosurfactants (BSs) are microbial compounds that have emerged as potential alternatives to chemical surfactants due to their multifunctional properties, sustainability and biodegradability. Owing to their amphipathic nature and distinctive structural arrangement, biosurfactants exhibit a range of physicochemical properties, including excellent surface activity, efficient critical micelle concentration, humectant properties, foaming and cleaning abilities and the capacity to form microemulsions. Furthermore, numerous biosurfactants display additional biological characteristics, such as antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral effects, and antioxidant, anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have explored their potential applications, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents, wound healing, anticancer treatments, immune system modulators and drug/gene carriers. These applications are particularly important in addressing challenges such as antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formations in clinical, hygiene and therapeutic settings. They can also serve as coating agents for surfaces, enabling antiadhesive, suppression, or eradication strategies. Not least importantly, biosurfactants have shown compatibility with various drug formulations, including nanoparticles, liposomes, micro- and nanoemulsions and hydrogels, improving drug solubility, stability and bioavailability, and enabling a targeted and controlled drug release. These qualities make biosurfactants promising candidates for the development of next-generation antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anticancer, wound-healing, immunomodulating, drug or gene delivery agents, as well as adjuvants to other antibiotics. Analysing the most recent literature, this review aims to update the present understanding, highlight emerging trends, and identify promising directions and advancements in the utilization of biosurfactants within the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.

Development and Characterization of Azithromycin-Loaded Microemulsions: A Promising Tool for the Treatment of Bacterial Skin Infections

In recent years, the treatment of bacterial skin infections has been considered a major healthcare issue due to the growing emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The incorporation of antibiotics in appropriate nanosystems could represent a promising strategy, able to overcome several drawbacks of the topical treatment of infections, including poor drug retention within the skin. The present work aims to develop microemulsions containing azithromycin (AZT), a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic. Firstly, AZT solubility in various oils, surfactants and co-surfactants was assessed to select the main components. Subsequently, microemulsions composed of vitamin E acetate, Labrasol^® and Transcutol^® P were prepared and characterized for their pH, viscosity, droplet size, zeta potential and ability to release the drug and to promote its retention inside porcine skin. Antimicrobial activity against S. aureus methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) and the biocompatibility of microemulsions were evaluated. Microemulsions showed an acceptable pH and were characterized by different droplet sizes and viscosities depending on their composition. Interestingly, they provided a prolonged release of AZT and promoted its accumulation inside the skin. Finally, microemulsions retained AZT efficacy on MRSA and were not cytotoxic. Hence, the developed AZT-loaded microemulsions could be considered as useful nanocarriers for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections of the skin.

Human Lactobacillus Biosurfactants as Natural Excipients for Nasal drug Delivery of Hydrocortisone

The inclusion of a chemical permeation enhancer in a dosage form is considered an effective approach to improve absorption across the nasal mucosa. Herein we evaluated the possibility of exploiting biosurfactants (BS) produced by Lactobacillus gasseri BC9 as innovative natural excipients to improve nasal delivery of hydrocortisone (HC). BC9-BS ability to improve HC solubility and the BS mucoadhesive potential were investigated using the surfactant at a concentration below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC). In vitro diffusion studies through the biomimetic membrane PermeaPad® and the same synthetic barrier functionalized with a mucin layer were assessed to determine BC9-BS absorption enhancing properties in the absence and presence of the mucus layer. Lastly, the diffusion study was performed across the sheep nasal mucosa using BC9-BS at a concentration below the CMC. Results showed that BC9-BS was able to interact with the main component of the nasal mucosa, and that it allowed for a greater solubilization and also permeation of the drug when it was employed at a low concentration. Overall, it seems that BC9-BS could be a promising alternative to chemical surfactants in the nasal drug delivery field.