Design and characterization of an organogel system containing ascorbic acid microparticles produced with propolis by-product

Abstract

This study aimed to prepare and characterize organogels containing microparticles of ascorbic acid (AA) obtained from propolis by-product. The formulations F1 (5% of microparticles) and F2 (10% of microparticles) were evaluated regarding rheological and textural properties, antioxidant and radical scavenging activity, in vitro release and cellular studies. The organogels showed plastic flow behavior and rheopexy. The textural parameters were within acceptable values for semisolid formulations. The antioxidant capacity of organogels F1 and F2 by the DPPH assay demonstrated IC₅₀ ranging from 1523.59 to 1166.97 μg/mL, respectively. For the FRAP assay, the values found were 842.88 and 956.14 μmol of FSE/g formulation, respectively. Good scavenging activity against nitrogen species was observed. The concentration of 63 μg/mL did not present toxicity on HaCaT and HFF-1 cells. In vitro release profile of AA from organogels showed a slow pattern of drug release, mainly for F2. Therefore, the proposed organogel containing AA microparticles with propolis by-product matrix represents a promising platform for topical drug delivery with antioxidant effect.

Keywords:

• Organogels
• poloxamer P188
• passion fruit oil
• ascorbic acid
• antioxidant activity
• HaCaT
• HFF-1

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful to CAPES (n° 88881.135492/2016–01-PDSE program) (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education of Brazil), CNPq (Conselho Nacional de DesenvolvimentoCientífico e Tecnológico/National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development of Brazil) and FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos/Financier of Studies and Projects of Brazil) for their financial support. This work was financed by FEDER – Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020 – Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the projects “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01–0145-FEDER-007274). This work also has been supported by FCT through grant no. [PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2013 and NORTE-07–0124-FEDER-000069] – Food Science. Diana Pinto is thankful for the research grant from project UID/QUI/50006. Francisca Rodrigues thanks QREN for her postdoc grant (NORTE-07–0124-FEDER-000069). This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE), under the Partnership Agreement PT2020, and National Funds (FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology) through project LAQV/UID/QUI/50006/2013. To all financing sources the authors are greatly indebted.