Fabrication and evaluation of centrifugal spun Miconazole-loaded sugar-based fibers

Oral candidiasis is considered a very common infection in the oral cavity caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans). Miconazole is considered to be a very effective drug against many fungal infections but suffers from water insolubility and an unpleasant taste. Therefore, this study aims to prepare miconazole encapsulated into a sugar-based fibrous system composed of sucrose as the main component, along with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizer, and miconazole using centrifugal spinning and to assess its antifungal activity in in vitro and in vivo mice models. The data showed that the miconazole-loaded fibers had a diameter of 6.6 ± 2.5 μm, an encapsulation efficiency % of 52 ± 4.5 %, a drug loading of 52 ± 4.5 μg/mg and full and rapid drug release after 4 h. The in vitro antifungal assessment exhibited that the miconazole-loaded fibers have a comparable antifungal activity to that of the positive control miconazole against two C. albicans strains. The in vivo mice oral candidiasis model demonstrated the ability of the miconazole-loaded fibers to inhibit C. albicans similarly to the commercially available product after 7 days of the treatment. Therefore, the miconazole-loaded fibers can be used as a potential alternative medication for oral candidiasis owing to its anti-Candida activity and its presence as a cotton-candy-like dosage form that would improve the children's acceptability and adherence. Further in vivo testing and long-term stability are required to ensure the safety, efficacy, and stability of this dosage form before its clinical application.