Barrier effect and wound healing activity of the medical device REF-FTP78 in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

REF-FTP78 is a class IIb medical device present on the market with different trade names and developed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This medical device is based on polysaccharides from Aloe Barbadensis and fucoidans from brown seaweeds, such as Undaria pinnatifida and Fucus vesiculosus, and aims to exert a protective effect on the esophageal mucosa against the noxious components of refluxate. The present study reports on the efficacy of REF-FTP78 devoting a particular attention to the barrier effect and wound healing properties, combined with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Film-forming properties and barrier effect were investigated on in vitro reconstructed human esophageal epithelium, through TEER measurement and evaluation of caffeine and Lucifer yellow permeability, and in an ex vivo swine model of esophageal mucosa damage. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated in terms of scavenging activity towards DPPH, ABTS and NO radicals and a wound healing assay was carried out to study the influence of the product on cell migration. The obtained results highlighted a significant barrier effect, with a reduction in caffeine penetration equal to 65.3%, the ability to both repair and prevent the damage caused by an acid insult, confirmed by a good transepithelial resistance for the tissue treated with the tested item, and the capacity to promote wound healing. Furthermore, the tested product showed good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the performed radical scavenging assays. These findings support the use of REF-FTP78 in the treatment of GERD.