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Dive into the research topics where Anna Lisa Scaturro is active.

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Featured researches published by Anna Lisa Scaturro.


Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy | 2015

Aloin delivery on buccal mucosa: ex vivo studies and design of a new locoregional dosing system

Viviana De Caro; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Giulia Di Prima; Giuseppe Avellone; Flavia Maria Sutera; Olga Di Fede; Giuseppina Campisi; Libero Italo Giannola

Abstract Context: Chemoprevention of potential malignant disorders or cancerous lesions that affect oral mucosae requires extended duration of treatment. Locoregional delivery of natural products could represent a promising strategy for this purpose. Objective: To investigate the aptitude of aloin to permeate through, or accumulate in, the buccal mucosa and to develop a new prolonged oro-mucosal drug delivery system. Materials and methods: Permeation/accumulation of aloin from Curacao Aloe (containing 50% barbaloin) was evaluated ex vivo, using porcine buccal mucosa as the most useful model to simulate human epithelium. Oro-mucosal matrix tablets were prepared by dispersing aloin (10% w/w) in Eudragit® RS 100 as, biocompatible, low permeable, pH-independent, and non-swelling polymer. The prepared tablets were evaluated for drug–polymer compatibility, weight variation, drug uniformity content, diameter, thickness, hardness, friability, swelling, mucoadhesive strength, and drug release. Results: Aloin has low tendency to cross buccal mucosa, permeation is marginal, and high drug amounts remain entrapped into the epithelium. Matrix tablets characteristics were in agreement with pharmacopoeial requirements. Drug release showed highly reproducible Higuchian profile. Delivery through matrix tablets promoted drug accumulation in the mucosal tissue. Discussion and conclusion: Following application of matrix tablets on porcine buccal mucosa, the amount of discharged drug recovered in the tissue should be sufficient to produce the desired effects, providing therapeutic drug levels directly at the site of action. Aloin-loaded tablets are valid candidates for prevention/treatment of potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer and could potentially lead to clinically relevant drug delivery system as coadjuvant of conventional chemotherapy/radiation therapy.


Medicinal Chemistry | 2014

N-valproyl-L-phenylalanine as new potential antiepileptic drug: synthesis, characterization and in vitro studies on stability, toxicity and anticonvulsant efficacy.

Viviana De Caro; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Flavia Maria Sutera; Giuseppe Avellone; Gabriella Schiera; Evelina Ferrantelli; Maria Carafa; Valerio Rizzo; Fabio Carletti; Pierangelo Sardo; Libero Italo Giannola

Valproic acid (VPA) is considered first-line drug in treatment of generalized idiopathic seizures such as absence, generalized tonic-clonic and myoclonic seizures. Among major antiepileptic drugs, VPA is also considered effective in childhood epilepsies and infantile spasms. Due to its broad activity, VPA acts as a mood stabilizer in bipolar disorder and it is useful in migraine prophylaxis. Despite its long-standing usage, severe reactions to VPA, such as liver toxicity and teratogenicity, are reported. To circumvent side effects due to structural characteristics of VPA, we synthesized in good yield a new VPA-aminoacid conjugate, the N-valproyl-L-Phenylalanine, and characterized by FT-IR, MS, (13)C and (1)H- NMR analyses. The Log D(pH7.4) value (0.19) indicated that new molecule was potentially able to cross biological membranes. The resistance to chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis of N-valproyl-L-phenylalanine was also assessed. All trials suggested that the compound, at the pH conditions of the entire gastro-intestinal tract, remained unmodified. Furthermore, the new compound did not undergo enzymatic cleavage both in plasma and in cerebral medium up to 24 h. The toxicity assay on primary cultures of astrocytes indicated that the synthetized conjugate was less toxic than both free VPA and L-Phenylalanine. In this paper, the anticonvulsant activity of the new compound against epileptic burst discharges evoked in vitro in rat hippocampal slices was also evaluated. These preliminary results underline that N-valproyl-L-phenylalanine as new potential antiepileptic agent could represent a good candidate to further investigations.


Drug Delivery | 2014

Potential transbuccal delivery of l-DOPA methylester prodrug: stability in the environment of the oral cavity and ability to cross the mucosal tissue

Anna Lisa Scaturro; De Caro; Giuseppina Campisi; Libero Italo Giannola

Abstract Levodopa (l-DOPA) is the most effective pharmacologic agent in Parkinson’s disease and remains the “gold standard”. Nevertheless, in long-term treatments, dyskinesias and motor complications can emerge. In this work, the combined use of l-DOPA methylester hydrochloride prodrug (LDME) with transbuccal drug delivery was supposed as a good alternative method to optimize the bioavailability of l-DOPA, to maintain constant plasma levels and to decrease the drug unwanted effects. The effects of environmental pH on buccal delivery of LDME were evaluated ex vivo. The increase of pH value from 5.8 to 6.2 implies an improvement of drug permeation. Since the pH increase causes the raising of hydrolytic conversion of LDME to l-DOPA, the pH value 6.2 was considered as a good compromise between drug stability and permeation rate. It was found that during the passage through the biological tissue, LDME undergoes a primary conversion to l-DOPA catalyzed by membrane’s enzymes. Supplementation of delivery with Tween 80® produces substantial enhancement of LDME passage through the membrane. The drug could be loaded in the IntelliDrug mechatronic device, released close to the buccal mucosa, so achieving and maintaining constant therapeutic blood levels for extensive time.


Journal of Neural Transmission | 2012

Inhibitory effects of N-valproyl-l-tryptophan on high potassium, low calcium and low magnesium-induced CA1 hippocampal epileptiform bursting activity in rat brain slices

Pierangelo Sardo; Valerio Rizzo; Simonetta Friscia; Fabio Carletti; Viviana De Caro; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Giulia Giandalia; Libero Italo Giannola; Giuseppe Ferraro


Journal of Biological Research | 2013

N-valplroyl-aminoacids as new potential antiepileptic drugs: synthesis, characterization and in vitro studies on stability

Libero Italo Giannola; Viviana De Caro; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Flavia Maria Sutera; Giannola Li


Archive | 2012

Transbuccal delivery of l-dopa methyl ester: ex vivo permeation studies

Libero Italo Giannola; Ada Maria Florena; Viviana De Caro; Giuseppina Campisi; Giulia Giandalia; Maria Gabriella Siragusa; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Flavia Maria Sutera; Andy Wolff; Giannola Li


Archive | 2012

A NEW DOPAMINE-AMINOACID CONJUGATE: SYNTHESIS AND DETERMINATION OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES USEFUL TO CROSS THE BBB

Libero Italo Giannola; Maria A. Livrea; Carla Cannizzaro; Viviana De Caro; Carla Gentile; Giulia Giandalia; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Flavia Maria Sutera


Archive | 2012

Aminoacidic derivatives as novel CNS-targeted neurotherapeutics

Libero Italo Giannola; Viviana De Caro; Giulia Giandalia; Maria Gabriella Siragusa; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Flavia Maria Sutera


Archive | 2012

Evaluation of the aptitude to cross the BBB of a new dopamine aminoacidic prodrug

Libero Italo Giannola; Viviana De Caro; Giulia Giandalia; Anna Lisa Scaturro


Archive | 2012

A new dopamine amino-acid conjugate: preclinical in vitro studies and evaluation of behavioural effects in rats

Libero Italo Giannola; Carla Cannizzaro; Viviana De Caro; Fulvio Plescia; Anna Lisa Scaturro; Flavia Maria Sutera; Rosa Anna Maria Marino

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