Mucoadhesive Polyvinyl Alcohol Film Containing Fridericia chica Extract for Mucositis Treatment - Pharmacological Evaluation and Active Compounds Release

Sep 28, 2026

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Oral mucositis is a frequent, painful complication of cancer therapy with few effective options. This study assessed a mucoadhesive polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film containing 2.5% Fridericia chica extract as a new therapeutic strategy. The formulation was characterized for antioxidant activity, phenolic/flavonoid content, and reactive species scavenging, while nanostructure size and morphology were evaluated by DLS and TEM. Antimicrobial activity, ex vivo release, and cytotoxicity in HGF-1 and HaCaT cells were also performed, showing antioxidant and Candida/bacterial activity, no cytotoxicity up to 62.5 µg/mL, and nanometric particles (245.5 nm) with zeta potential −11.13 mV. Release of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins and luteolin through porcine esophageal membrane supported sustained delivery for mucositis treatment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Oral mucositis burden in head and neck cancer

Current mucositis treatments and role of natural products

Background and traditional uses of Fridericia chica

Chemical markers and bioactive constituents of the extract

Chemistry & Biodiversity RESEARCH ARTICLE Mucoadhesive Polyvinyl Alcohol Film Containing Fridericia chica Extract for Mucositis Treatment: Pharmacological Evaluation and Active Compounds Release Ilza Maria de Oliveira Sousa1 Ailane Souza de Freitas2 Fabrício de Faveri Favero2, 3 Lucia Elaine O. Braga2 Mariana Cecchetto Figueiredo1 Diana Pinto4 Maria Beatriz P. P. Oliveira4 Simone Nataly Busato de Feiria3 Nubia de Cássia Almeida Queiroz1 Ana Lucia T. G. Ruiz2 José Francisco Hofling3 João Ernesto de Carvalho2 Mary Ann Foglio2 1 Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medical Science (FCM), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil 2 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil 3 Department of Physiological Science—Piracicaba Dental School (FOP), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, Brazil 4 LAQV/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal Correspondence: Mary Ann Foglio ([foglioma@unicamp.br](foglioma@unicamp.br)) Received: 23 June 2025 Revised: 8 October 2025 Accepted: 10 October 2025 Keywords: 3-deoxyanthocyanidins | Arrabidaea chica Verlot | healing | mucositis | permeation ABSTRACT Oral mucositis is a frequent and painful complication of cancer therapy with limited effective options. This study evaluated amucoadhesive polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film containing 2.5% Fridericia chica extract as a novel strategy. The formulation was characterized for antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content, and reactive species scavenging. Nanostructure size and morphology were assessed by DLS and TEM. Biological assays included antimicrobial activity, ex vivo release (Franz cells), and cytotoxicity in HGF-1 and HaCaT cells. The film showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against Candida spp. and bacterial strains, and showed no cytotoxicity up to 62.5 µg/mL. Particles were nanometric (245.5 nm), monodisperse, with a zeta potential of −11.13 mV. 3-Deoxyanthocyanidins and luteolin permeated the porcine esophageal membrane, indicating that PVA did not hinder compound release. The F. chica + PVA film may improve mucosal adhesion and sustain delivery, representing a promising alternative for mucositis treatment. 1 Introduction Yearly, over 660 000 people worldwide receive head and neck cancer diagnosis, which is ranked as the seventh most common type, with 325 000 deaths [1, 2]. The complication rates associated with these types of tumors are high. Data from a systematic review showed that the incidence of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer ranges from 59.4% to 100% of cases, with varying degrees of severity [3]. Oral mucositis is a painful and debilitating condition characterized by erythematous inflammatory process in oral cavity causing pain and hindering deglutition and speech. The risk of malnutrition and infections increase considerably inpatients with this condition, hindering treatment with reduced quality of life [3–5] . Mucositis treatment has focused on pain management, with the administration of analgesics and low-intensity laser therapy (LLT) [4, 6]. Natural products are a source of bioactive compounds with unique structures that can provide new treatments. Approximately 60% of new drugs approved between January 1981 and January 2019, directly or indirectly derive from natural products [7] . Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) L.G. Lohmann (syn. Arrabidaea This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2025 The Author(s) . Chemistry & Biodiversity published by Wiley-VHCA AG. Chemistry & Biodiversity, 2026; 23:e02095 1 of 12 [https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202502095](https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202502095) chica Verlot) is popularly known by “crajiru” or “pariri” in Brazil. Th

FAQs

What formulation was evaluated for mucositis treatment?

A mucoadhesive polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film containing 2.5% Fridericia chica extract was evaluated as a novel strategy.

How was the film characterized and how was drug release tested?

The film was characterized for antioxidant activity, phenolic/flavonoid content, and reactive species scavenging, with nanostructure size and morphology assessed by DLS and TEM. Ex vivo release was measured using Franz cells, and compound permeation was evaluated across a porcine esophageal membrane.

What biological performance did the film show in the study?

The film demonstrated antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against Candida spp. and bacterial strains, showed no cytotoxicity up to 62.5 µg/mL in tested cell lines, and exhibited nanometric particle size with a zeta potential of −11.13 mV.

Sep 28, 2026

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