Surface Modification of Zinc Undecylenate with Nanoparticle Fluconazole Using Low-Pressure RF Plasma-Assisted CVD: A New Generation Antifungal Compound.

Fluconazole (FCZ) is an antifungal drug of the triazole class and is widely used in the treatment of systemic and superficial fungal infections. However, resistance development is high in triazoles. Zinc undecylenate (ZU), on the other hand, has fungistatic properties and inhibits Candida albicans biofilm formation. This study aimed to develop a new compound that would utilize the sequential pharmacodynamic effects of FCZ and ZU to overcome FCZ resistance, eliminate biofilm formation, and reduce infection recurrence. Solid Lipid Nanoparticle-Fluconazole (SLNP-FCZ) suspension was prepared, and the surface of ZU powders was coated using low-pressure radio frequency plasma-chemical vapor deposition (LPRFP-CVD). The resulting SLNP-FCZ-ZU composition was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), optical emission spectroscopy (OES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential, and particle size analyses. Statistical evaluations compared the difference between the ZU and coated form using correlation. A significant difference was observed in the correlation analysis (p < 0.001), and the effect size was found to be high (d = 1.03). The antifungal efficacy of SLNP-FCZ-coated ZU preparations was supported by their sequential mechanism of action. The results obtained demonstrate that the LPRFP technique can combine pharmacotherapeutic agents into a single pharmaceutical preparation. The combination of SLNP-FCZ and ZU can shorten the treatment time and improve patient well-being in persistent Candida infections by reducing resistance and biofilm formation. This approach can be considered an innovative strategy in antifungal therapies.