Evaluation of thiolated silicone oil as advanced mucoadhesive antifoaming agent

Abstract

Context: Silicone oils, such as dimethicone, are commonly administered against gastrointestinal gas accumulation and are attributed with mucoprotective features.

Objective: Evaluation of thiolated silicone oil as advanced antiflatulence with a prolonged retention on small intestinal mucosa as an intended site of action.

Materials and methods: 3-Mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as a thiol ligand was covalently attached to silicone oil. This thiomer was assessed with regard to foam inhibiting action, droplet size of a suitable self-emulsifying system, mucoadhesion and cytotoxicity.

Results: Antifoaming activity of silicone–MPA was complying with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) requirements for simethicone as standard antiflatulence. Another antifoaming test performed on porcine mucosa supported silicone–MPA's outstanding foam destruction, as this thiomer was superior in comparison to non-thiolated silicone oil and dimethicone with 14.7 ± 2.1 versus 73.3 ± 9.1 and 66.3 ± 7.5 s, respectively. A significantly enhanced mucoadhesiveness (p < 0.02) with 26.2 ± 7.1% silicone formulation remaining on small intestinal mucosa after 8 h was evident for the thiomer without any toxic effect.

Conclusion: Thiolated silicone oil was found to exhibit excellent antifoaming and superior mucoadhesive features. The prolonged residence time of thiolated silicone oil promises to be beneficial in the treatment of flatulence, aerophagy and inflammation throughout the whole gastrointestinal tract.

Keywords:

• Antiflatulence
• gastrointestinal gas accumulation
• mucoadhesion
• silicone oil
• thiomers

Acknowledgements

The authors thank J. Mayr and co-workers from the slaughterhouse Natters for supply of porcine intestinal mucosa.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.