{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T02:51:13Z","timestamp":1761101473353,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":83,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,2]],"date-time":"2023-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1680393600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028271","UIDB\/00709\/2020","UIDP\/00709\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028271","UIDB\/00709\/2020","UIDP\/00709\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology\/MCTES","award":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028271","UIDB\/00709\/2020","UIDP\/00709\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028271","UIDB\/00709\/2020","UIDP\/00709\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Gels"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We aimed to incorporate Thymbra capitata essential oil (TCEO), a potent antimicrobial natural product against bacterial vaginosis (BV)-related bacteria, in a suitable drug delivery system. We used vaginal sheets as dosage form to promote immediate relief of the typical abundant vaginal discharge with unpleasant odour. Excipients were selected to promote the healthy vaginal environment reestablishment and bioadhesion of formulations, while the TCEO acts directly on BV pathogens. We characterized vaginal sheets with TCEO in regard to technological characterization, predictable in vivo performance, in vitro efficacy and safety. Vaginal sheet D.O (acid lactic buffer, gelatine, glycerine, chitosan coated with TCEO 1% w\/w) presented a higher buffer capacity and ability to absorb vaginal fluid simulant (VFS) among all vaginal sheets with EO, showing one of the most promising bioadhesive profiles, an excellent flexibility and structure that allow it to be easily rolled for application. Vaginal sheet D.O with 0.32 \u00b5L\/mL TCEO was able to significantly reduce the bacterial load of all in vitro tested Gardnerella species. Although vaginal sheet D.O presented toxicity at some concentrations, this product was developed for a short time period of treatment, so this toxicity can probably be limited or even reversed when the treatment ends.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/gels9040293","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,3]],"date-time":"2023-04-03T02:10:13Z","timestamp":1680487813000},"page":"293","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Vaginal Sheets with Thymbra capitata Essential Oil for the Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis: Design, Characterization and In Vitro Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Mariana","family":"Tom\u00e1s","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"given":"L\u00facia G. V.","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Ros\u00e1rio Oliveira (LIBRO), Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"LABBELS\u2014Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0659-4386","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Sofia","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carolina P.","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Palmeira-de-Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"Labfit-HPRD Health Products Research and Development, Lda Edif\u00edcio UBIMedical, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-281 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5937-1127","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Cavaleiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIEPQPF, Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0948-821X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"L\u00edgia","family":"Salgueiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIEPQPF, Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3365-3537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno","family":"Cerca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Ros\u00e1rio Oliveira (LIBRO), Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"LABBELS\u2014Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Martinez-de-Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9311-8355","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita","family":"Palmeira-de-Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-506 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"},{"name":"Labfit-HPRD Health Products Research and Development, Lda Edif\u00edcio UBIMedical, Estrada Municipal 506, 6200-281 Covilh\u00e3, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.2217\/fmb-2016-0184","article-title":"Thymbra Capitata Essential Oil as Potential Therapeutic Agent against Gardnerella Vaginalis Biofilm-Related Infections","volume":"12","author":"Machado","year":"2017","journal-title":"Future Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-015-1027-4","article-title":"Making Inroads into Improving Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis \u2013 Striving for Long-Term Cure","volume":"15","author":"Bradshaw","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Infect. 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