Oral candidiasis is a mycosis on the mucous membranes of the mouth but not limited to the mouth. Nystatin is one of the most frequently employed antifungal agents to treat infections and may be safely given orally as well as applied topically but its absorption through mucocutaneous membranes such as the gut and the skin is minimal. The purpose of this study is to enhance the effectiveness of nystatin using particulate system such as beads, micro- and nanoparticles of alginate incorporated into toothpaste. Those particulate systems of nystatin were prepared by extrusion/external gelation for beads and emulsification/internal gelation for micro- and nanoparticles and characterized. Small, anionic charged and monodispersed particles were successfully produced. The type of particulate system influenced all previous parameters, being microparticles the most suitable particulate system of nystatin showing the slowest release, the highest inhibitory effect of Candida albicans over a period of one year. Those results allowed the conclusion that alginate exhibits properties that enable the in vitro functionality of encapsulated nystatin and thus may provide the basis for new successful approaches for the treatment of oral antifungal infections such as oral candidiasis.
Keywords: Candida albicans; encapsulation; nystatin; oral drug delivery.