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Natural Macromolecules for Medicine
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Natural Macromolecules for Medicine

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 12501

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Qun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Ames National Laboratory of Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural macromolecules have been widely used for medical applications, such as pharmaceutical substrates, cell targeting agents, imaging biomarkers, drug delivery systems, prosthetics, and tissue engineering scaffolds. They are obtained from plants, animals, and microbial sources. Natural macromolecules can be divided into carbohydrates, polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, and polyesters based on their physicochemical and biological properties. Natural macromolecules are amenable for ligand conjugation, cross-linking, and other modifications that can be tailored for a range of applications. Natural macromolecules are the presenting components in biological systems and possess high bioactivity and biocompatibility. They not only provide structure integrity and mechanical strength to tissues but communicate intercellularly to help to facilitate and regulate daily cellular processes and tissue renewal functions. Natural macromolecules, including their popular derivatives, are able to provide a versatile profile of desired medical materials. This Special Issue deals with natural macromolecules obtained from different natural sources and provides insights on the physics, chemistry, biological features, medical applications, and marketed products. This Special Issue will provide the opportunity to share knowledge about natural macromolecules, which is essential for scientists from various disciplines and regulatory authorities.

Dr. Qun Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Chitosan
  • Alginate
  • Cellulose
  • Polysaccharides
  • Drug delivery
  • Tissue engineering
  • Nanotechnology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2246 KiB  
Article
In Vitro MCF-7 Cells Apoptosis Analysis of Carboplatin Loaded Silk Fibroin Particles
by Nanyak Galam, Pinar Tulay and Terin Adali
Molecules 2020, 25(5), 1110; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25051110 - 02 Mar 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3095
Abstract
Breast cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is commonly used directly or as neo-adjuvant therapy for the management of breast cancer with its attendant adverse effects, underscoring the need to develop biocompatible bioactive compounds for pharmacological applications. The [...] Read more.
Breast cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is commonly used directly or as neo-adjuvant therapy for the management of breast cancer with its attendant adverse effects, underscoring the need to develop biocompatible bioactive compounds for pharmacological applications. The aim of this study is to encapsulate carboplatin (CP) with silk fibroin protein (SF) by using an ionic gelation method as a drug carrier system and assess the apoptotic effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells during in vitro studies. The characterization of silk fibroin encapsulated carboplatin (SFCP) microparticles was analyzed by FTIR spectrophotometer, SEM, Mastersizer, and biodegradation methods. The encapsulation efficiency and release profile of SFCP microparticles were analyzed by an indirect UV–Vis spectrophotometric method. An apoptotic screening of MCF-7 cells was carried out with 10–200 µg/mL CP loaded SFCP, which were cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h. Data were analyzed using the Student’s t test and analysis of variance. FTIR and drug release studies confirmed an interaction of silk fibroin with the carboplatin moiety. SFCP showed successful encapsulation of the carboplatin moiety. Apoptotic screening showed a dose dependent increase in absorbance, indicating significant cell death (p < 0.05). Thus, the direct apoptotic effect of SFCP microparticles on MCF-7 was confirmed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Macromolecules for Medicine)
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20 pages, 5866 KiB  
Article
The Impact of the Ionic Cross-Linking Mode on the Physical and In Vitro Dexamethasone Release Properties of Chitosan/Hydroxyapatite Beads
by Maria Jucélia L. Dantas, Bárbara Fernanda F. dos Santos, Albaniza A. Tavares, Matheus A. Maciel, Breno de Medeiros Lucena, Marcus Vinícius L. Fook and Suédina Maria de L. Silva
Molecules 2019, 24(24), 4510; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24244510 - 10 Dec 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3694
Abstract
In this study, the effect of the ionic cross-linking mode on the ability to control physical properties and in vitro release behavior of the dexamethasone (DEX) drug from chitosan (CS) and chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) beads was investigated. CS solutions without and with HA and [...] Read more.
In this study, the effect of the ionic cross-linking mode on the ability to control physical properties and in vitro release behavior of the dexamethasone (DEX) drug from chitosan (CS) and chitosan/hydroxyapatite (CS/HA) beads was investigated. CS solutions without and with HA and DEX were dripped into two coagulation solutions, prepared with a non-toxic ionic crosslinker (sodium tripolyphosphate, TPP) and distilled water, one at pH = 9.0 and other at pH = 6.0. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed changes on the surface topology of the beads, with a reduction of roughness for beads prepared at pH = 6.0 and an increase for the one prepared at pH = 9.0. The diameter and sphericity of the beads prepared at pH = 6.0 proved more uniform and had a larger pore size with a good interconnectivity framework. Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) suggested a higher crosslinking degree for beads prepared at pH = 6.0, corroborated by X-ray diffraction profiles (XRD) analysis that indicated a decrease in the crystalline structure for such beads. In in vitro drug release data, all beads presented a sustained release during the studied period (24 h). The drug release rate was affected by the pH of the coagulation solution used in the preparation of the beads. The in vitro kinetics of the release process was of the Peppas–Sahlin model, controlled by both diffusion and relaxation of polymer chains or swelling (anomalous transport mechanism). Our results suggest that DEX-loaded CS/HA beads, crosslinked in TPP coagulation solution at pH = 9.0, led to a decrease in the DEX release rate and prolonged the release period. Thus, this composition might have prospective as a functional material for bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Macromolecules for Medicine)
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Review

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40 pages, 4116 KiB  
Review
The Efficacy of Cholesterol-Based Carriers in Drug Delivery
by Ngonidzashe Ruwizhi and Blessing Atim Aderibigbe
Molecules 2020, 25(18), 4330; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25184330 - 22 Sep 2020
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 4658
Abstract
Several researchers have reported the use of cholesterol-based carriers in drug delivery. The presence of cholesterol in cell membranes and its wide distribution in the body has led to it being used in preparing carriers for the delivery of a variety of therapeutic [...] Read more.
Several researchers have reported the use of cholesterol-based carriers in drug delivery. The presence of cholesterol in cell membranes and its wide distribution in the body has led to it being used in preparing carriers for the delivery of a variety of therapeutic agents such as anticancer, antimalarials and antivirals. These cholesterol-based carriers were designed as micelles, nanoparticles, copolymers, liposomes, etc. and their routes of administration include oral, intravenous and transdermal. The biocompatibility, good bioavailability and biological activity of cholesterol-based carriers make them potent prodrugs. Several in vitro and in vivo studies revealed cholesterol-based carriers potentials in delivering bioactive agents. In this manuscript, a critical review of the efficacy of cholesterol-based carriers is reported. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Macromolecules for Medicine)
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