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Itraconazole (ITZ) is a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent suitable for the treatment of superficial and systemic mycoses. This study aimed to formulate, characterize, and evaluate the in vitro antifungal performance of single-jet electrospun itraconazole-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone-based fibers. Fibrous mats were prepared under the following experimental conditions: 10, 12.5, and 15 cm needle–collector distance, 20 kV tension, and 1, 1.5, and 2 mL/hour flow rate. The fibers were characterized by SEM, DSC, FTIR, assays, disintegration tests, dissolution tests, and in vitro antifungal activity. Using a 22 factorial design, the effects of preparation variables on the characteristics of the fibrous sheets were described. The electrospinning process led to smooth-surfaced, randomly oriented, and bead-free fibers. The average fiber diameter ranged from 887 nm to 1175 nm. The scanning calorimetry of pure ITZ revealed a sharp endothermic melting point at a temperature of 170 °C, not present in the curves of the fibers. After 60 min, between 70 and 100% of ITZ was released. The antifungal assay revealed that the fibers inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and Candida parapyilosis. The obtained fiber mats prepared from the hydrophilic polymer presented almost instantaneous disintegration, with potential applications for rapid antifungal delivery in oral or topical pharmaceutical form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allantoin possesses numerous beneficial properties for the skin, like anti-irritant effects, wound healing, skin hydration, and epithelization. In this paper, we investigated a suitable preparation method for an allantoin hydrogel using the Semi-Solid Control Diagram (SSCD) method and characterized its rheological and consistency behavior. To accomplish this, xanthan gum (XG) was selected as a model gelling agent. Briefly, four hydrogels were prepared, two without allantoin (coded M01 and M02) and two with allantoin (M1 and M2). Similarly, the formulations were either prepared through magnetic stirring (M01 and M1) or homogenization in a mortar (M02 and M2). The prepared hydrogels were evaluated using the SSCD for specific parameters and indexes. The Good Quality Index (GQI) shows a higher value for the formulation, M1 = 6.27, compared to M2 = 5.45. This result is also underlined by the value of M01 = 6.45, which is higher than M02 = 6.38. Considering the consistency, the formulation M01 possessed the highest spreadability, followed by M02 and then the allantoin hydrogels M1 and M2. The rheological behavior had a thixotropic pseudoplastic flow for all the formulations. The use of SSCD pictographs outlined the rheological properties that need improvement, the method that is suitable to prepare the allantoin hydrogels, and the influence of the allantoin suspended in the XG hydrogel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]