Incorporation of Liquid-Crystalline Systems Containing Ellagic acid in 3D-Printed Patches by Melt Electrowriting

• Grant number: 25/12997-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 02, 2025
• End date: April 01, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Miziara Barboza Ferreira
• Grantee: Eddy Henrique de Siqueira
• Supervisor: Eneko Larraneta
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/07635-6 - Evaluation of the antifungal activity of meglumine-derived gels containing Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) extract on Candida albicans biofilms., BP.IC

Abstract

Currently, one of the main causes of fungal infections has been associated with Candida albicans, a yeast present in the normal microbiota. However, due to their opportunistic nature and their ability to form biofilms on mucous membranes, which can lead to cases of oral candidiasis, especially in immunocompromised patients. Ellagic acid (EA) is a natural polyphenol present in several plant extracts with antifungal action. It can be incorporated into controlled release system formulations to act directly on infection sites and treat fungal diseases. Among these systems, liquid crystals (LCs) stand out, which have demonstrated efficacy in studies regarding the incorporation of substances such as EA into their liquid crystalline structure. Innovative programmed release technologies have been gaining prominence in the development of site-specific therapies. Among them, mucoadhesive patches stand out, structures that adhere to mucous membranes and control the release of compounds directly at these sites. These 3D devices can be printed by melt electrowriting, allowing the incorporation of other drug carrier systems, such as LCs. In this context, this study aims to develop mucoadhesive patches incorporating semi solid gels of LCs loaded with EA. The proposal is to investigate whether this combined strategy is capable of promoting the prolonged release of EA in the mucous membranes, focusing on enhancing its antifungal activity. In vitro physicochemical release tests, mucoadhesion assays and morphological and thermal characterization of the 3D structures will be performed by scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (AU)