Preparation and Characterization of Mucoadhesive Proniosomal Gel of Curcumin with Thiolated Chitosan for the Treatment of Oral Mucositis

Aim: Oral mucositis is a problem which is found in a cancer patient, taking chemotherapy radiation therapy. This work aims to formulate a mucoadhesive curcumin proniosomal gel by using thiolated chitosan for buccal delivery. Curcumin-loaded proniosomes were optimized using Design–Expert software (version 13) and then mix with thiolated chitosan polymer for improving the bioavailability of curcumin. Materials and Methods: By using different concentrations of cholesterol, soya-lecithin, and surfactants (Brij 97), a total of fifteen formulations were created by coacervation phase separation method. The impact of the independent variables on the dependent ones, including entrapment effectiveness, vesicle size, and in vitro release, were then characterized. Results and Discussion: Out of all the experiments, formulation F7 meets the strictest criteria for minimum vesicle size (5.0±0.14), maximum entrapment efficiency (74.12±3.2) and maximum drug release (69.28±2.14). Utilizing the reaction surface plot and expected vs. actual data, the formulation was optimized. The F7 formulation was rendered mucoadhesive by being imbedded in thiolated chitosan before being further defined rheologically. In an in vitro study, Mucoadhesive Proniosomal Gel (TC-CPNG) released the drug at a slower rate than Proniosome (CPNG), releasing only 58 percent of the drug over a 6h period. At varying temperatures, the stability study of TC-CPNG was also monitored. Conclusion: The result indicates that incorporation of proniosome into thiolated chitosan polymer may considerably increase the drug release rate and provide the sustained release in the buccal cavity.