Mucoadhesive devices for the release of probiotics and for the maintenance of their enzyme activities

1. A method for the preparation of a bi-layered, stable, dehydrated mucoadhesive film having a surface layer of dehydrated lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria, or an enzyme derived from said lactic bacteria or bifidobacteria, or mixtures thereof,

the method comprising:

(a) Mixing a mucoadhesive polymer with water and a plasticizing substance in a quantity from between about 0% to 5% w/w based on the weight of the mucoadhesive polymer, thereby making a mixture;

(b) Pouring the mixture onto a surface to form a substantially uniform thickness and drying at a temperature of about greater than or equal to about 30° C., thereby generating a dehydrated mucoadhesive film having a surface,

(c) depositing and distributing an aliquot of the lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria bacteria, or the enzyme derived from said lactic bacteria or bifidobacteria, or mixtures thereof, in dehydrated form onto the dehydrated mucoadhesive film surface, thereby generating a bi-layered dehydrated mucoadhesive film comprising a surface layer of dehydrated lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria bacteria, or the enzyme derived from said lactic bacteria or bifidobacteria or mixtures thereof; and

(d) drying the mucoadhesive film surface until the bi-layered dehydrated mucoadhesive film reaches a constant weight, thereby producing a stable, dehydrated bi-layered mucoadhesive film.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the mucoadhesive film has a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bacterial strains of lactic bacteria or the one or more bifidobacteria are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus catenaforme, Lactobacillus cellobiosus, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus leichmanii, Lactobacillus minutus, Lactobacillus plantarum Lactobacillus rogosae, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium angulatum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium dentium, Bifidobacterium eriksonii, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium plantarum, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus raffinolactis, Streptococcus thermophilus , and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bacterial strains of lactic bacteria or the one or more bifidobacteria are selected from the group consisting of: Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 4006 , Lactobacillus salivarius DSM 24800 , Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 24801 , Streptococcus thermophilus DSM 24731 , Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 24735 , Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp bulgaricus DSM 24734 , Lactobacillus paracasei DSM 24733 , Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 24730 , Bifidobacterium longum DSM 24736 , Bifidobacterium infantis DSM 24727 , Bifidobacterium breve DSM 24732 and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mucoadhesive film is obtained or derived from a homo- or co-polymerizable monomer selected from the group consisting of:

hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA);

hydroxyethoxyethyl methacrylate (HEEMA);

hydroxydiethoxyethyl methacrylate (HDEEMA);

methoxyethyl methacrylate (MEMA);

methoxyethoxyethyl methacrylate (MEEMA);

methoxydiethoxyethyl methacrylate (MDEEMA);

ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA);

N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP);

N-isopropyl AAm (NIPAAm);

vinyl acetate (VAc);

lactic acid (LA);

acrylic acid (AA);

methacrylic acid (MAA);

N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA);

ethylene glycol (EG);

propylene glycol (PG);

PEG acrylate (PEGA);

PEG methacrylate (PEGMA);

PEG diacrylate (PEGDA);

PEG dimethacrylate (PEGDMA);

a polymer comprising sodium alginate or a hyaluronic acid;

a polymer comprising ethylene or propylene oxide,

a polymer comprising a beta-glucan, where optionally the beta-glucan comprises pullulan (beta-1,4- or beta-1,6-glucan);

polyvinyl pyrrolidone;

polyvinyl alcohol;

sodium alginate;

sodium hyaluronate

polyethylene glycol;

a gum;

polyacrylic acid;

a polymer comprising acrylic, methacrylic acid, a carboxyvinyl polymer, a starch, a natural or a synthetic gelatin, agarose gel, a polysaccharide, a glucan, a xanthan, an agarose-xanthan gel, a chitosan, a dextran, a pectin, a cellulose; and

mixtures and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cellulose comprises: a methyl-, ethyl-, or propyl-cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, or hydroxypropylcellulose.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the gum comprises xanthan gum, gum adragant, guar gum, or acacia gum.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasticizing substance comprises a composition selected from the group consisting of: a polyalkylene oxide and a small organic molecule having plasticizing properties.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polyalkylene oxides comprise polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plasticizing substance comprises one plasticizing substance or a mixture of plasticizing substances.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the small organic molecule comprises glycerol, glycerol monoacetate, triacetin, polysorbate, cetyl alcohol, sorbitol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG), or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture is poured on to a surface of an article of manufacture.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the article of manufacture is fabricated for use in a medical, a cosmetic or a non-medical field for an animal or a human.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the article of manufacture is fabricated for use in a dermatological field or a hygiene field or a personal curative field, or the article of manufacture is fabricated for use on an animal or a human.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the article of manufacture is formulated for cosmetic use as a skin clarifier.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the article of manufacture is fabricated for use in a medical field related to a condition or a disease affecting mucosa in general.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the article of manufacture is fabricated for use for a condition or disease is selected from the group consisting of: oral, genital, anal, nasal, pharyngeal, oesophageal and conjunctival mucosa and the skin of an animal or a human which benefits from the administration of lactic bacteria and bifidobacterial.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the article of manufacture is fabricated or formulated for use in the prevention or treatment of a mucosal or a skin condition selected from the group consisting of: vaginitis and vaginosis, procto-haemorrhoidal inflammations, sinusitis, otitis, conjunctivitis, gastritis, oesophagitis, injuries to the mucosa, mucosal manifestations of systemic diseases, abrasions, open wounds, skin ulcers, sores, conditions of the mucosa of the oral cavity; a tumor affecting the skin, optionally melanoma, and to increase compliance in patients treated with chemotherapy, optionally for chemotherapy giving rise to problems in the mucosa.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the article of manufacture is fabricated for use in a disease or a condition of the mucosa of the oral cavity.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a condition or disease of the oral cavity comprise: a gingival disturbance, dental caries, a periodontal disturbance, halitosis, gingivitis, oral mucositis, an ulcer, a microorganism imbalance in the oral cavity, cell proliferation, an inflammatory process in the mucosa, an acute or a chronic periodontitis, an aggressive periodontitis, gingival bleeding, a condition associated with the growth of Streptococci or Streptococcal mutans , a condition associated with the growth of a bacterial species, gastritis, oesophagitis, mucositis or aphthous stomatitis.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the bacterial species comprise: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia and/or Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the ulcer comprises an oral ulcer in a patient suffering from Behcet's syndrome.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one pharmaceutically, cosmeceutically and dermatologically active ingredient for simultaneous, sequential or delayed administration is added to the mixture or the dehydrated mucoadhesive film surface.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme is arginine deiminase.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enzymes are obtained or derived from said one or more bacterial strains of lactic bacteria or one or more bifidobacteria are selected from the group consisting of: acid sphingomyelinase, neutral sphingomyelinase and alkaline sphingomyelinase.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the quantity of the one or more bacterial strains of lactic bacteria and the one or more bifidobacteria on the film's surface is between about 10 2 and 10 12 cfu/cm 2 .

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing and distributing an aliquot of the lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria bacteria, or the enzyme derived from said lactic bacteria or bifidobacteria or mixtures thereof, in dehydrated form onto the dehydrated mucoadhesive film surface, comprises use of spraying.