{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,29]],"date-time":"2026-06-29T11:58:30Z","timestamp":1782734310837,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,11]],"date-time":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1607644800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common vaginitis that affects women, especially in childbearing age, caused by<jats:italic>Candida albicans<\/jats:italic>in almost 80% of cases. Considering the limited drug arsenal available and the increasing fungal resistance profile, the search for new therapeutic sources with low toxicity and easy administration should be supported. Propolis has been used as a traditional medicine for multiple diseases, considering its particular composition and pharmaceutical properties that permits its wide applicability; it has also emerged as a potential antifungal agent. Thus, this study performed an<jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>and<jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>investigation into the efficacy of a new mucoadhesive thermoresponsive platform for propolis delivery (MTS-PRPe) in a preclinical murine model of VVC treatment caused by<jats:italic>C<\/jats:italic>.<jats:italic>albicans<\/jats:italic>. The methodologies involved chemical analysis, an assessment of the rheological and mucoadhesive properties of propolis formulations,<jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>and<jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>antifungal evaluations, histological evaluations and electron microscopy of the vaginal mucosa. The results demonstrated the antifungal activity of propolis extract and MTS-PRP against the standard strain and a fluconazole-resistant clinical isolate of<jats:italic>C<\/jats:italic>.<jats:italic>albicans<\/jats:italic>, in both<jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>and<jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>assays. These results were similar and even better, depending on the propolis concentration, when compared to nystatin. Thus, the formulation containing propolis exhibited good performance against<jats:italic>C<\/jats:italic>.<jats:italic>albican<\/jats:italic>s in a vulvovaginal candidiasis experimental model, representing a promising opportunity for the treatment of this infection.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0243197","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,11]],"date-time":"2020-12-11T18:28:39Z","timestamp":1607711319000},"page":"e0243197","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["Preclinical approaches in vulvovaginal candidiasis treatment with mucoadhesive thermoresponsive systems containing propolis"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1634-2131","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Amanda Pohlmann","family":"Bonfim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karina 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