Accioni Francesca, Rassu Giovanna, Brunetti Antonio, Plicanti Erika, Freer Giulia, Carta Antonio, Giunchedi Paolo, Gavini Elisabetta
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
Biomedical Sciences Department, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
Pharmaceutics. 2025 Jun 19;17(6):795. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics17060795.
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large family of respiratory viruses that cause respiratory illnesses ranging from mild colds to severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and pandemics. The nasal cavity is a primary site for CoV entry and transmission. The study aimed to prepare a novel mucoadhesive emulgel specifically formulated with simple, safe, and cost-effective excipients to create a barrier on the nasal mucosa that impedes CoV infection. This formulation strategy was specifically designed to enable rapid and straightforward in vivo translation, addressing a critical gap in preventive measures against respiratory viruses. : Three emulgels, containing macadamia oil, Carbopol and different percentages of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (1, 1.2 and 1.5% (w/v), HPMC), were properly prepared and characterized for mucoadhesion, viscosity, and spreadability. The biological activity against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated in vitro on infected epithelial cells. : The emulgel with 1.2% HPMC demonstrated optimal physicochemical properties (mucoadhesion: 342 ± 9 mN/cm; viscosity: 1080 ± 83 cp; spreadability: 7.27 ± 0.06 cm) suitable for nasal application. Importantly, in vitro biological assays demonstrated that this emulgel significantly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in epithelial cells, indicating an effective barrier to viral diffusion. : By employing readily available, safe, and inexpensive excipients, this novel mucoadhesive emulgel offers a practical, scalable, and rapidly translatable nasal prophylactic approach to prevent early SARS-CoV-2 infection, addressing a critical unmet need in pandemic preparedness.
冠状病毒（CoVs）是一大类呼吸道病毒，可引起从普通感冒到严重急性呼吸综合征等严重疾病以及大流行等各种呼吸道疾病。鼻腔是冠状病毒进入和传播的主要部位。该研究旨在制备一种新型的粘膜粘附性乳胶，其配方采用简单、安全且经济高效的辅料，在鼻黏膜上形成一道屏障，阻止冠状病毒感染。这种配方策略经过专门设计，能够实现快速、直接的体内转化，填补了呼吸道病毒预防措施方面的关键空白。制备了三种乳胶，分别含有澳洲坚果油、卡波姆和不同百分比的羟丙基甲基纤维素（1%、1.2%和1.5%（w/v），HPMC），并对其粘膜粘附性、粘度和铺展性进行了表征。在感染的上皮细胞上对其抗严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的生物活性进行了体外评估。含有1.2% HPMC的乳胶表现出适合鼻腔应用的最佳理化性质（粘膜粘附性：342±9 mN/cm；粘度：1080±83 cp；铺展性：7.27±0.06 cm）。重要的是，体外生物学试验表明，这种乳胶能显著抑制上皮细胞中的SARS-CoV-2感染，表明它是病毒扩散的有效屏障。通过使用现成、安全且廉价的辅料，这种新型粘膜粘附性乳胶提供了一种实用、可扩展且能快速转化的鼻腔预防方法，以预防早期SARS-CoV-2感染，满足了大流行防范中一项关键的未满足需求。
