Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 8068

Special Issue Editors

Center for Human Technologies, Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Genoa, Italy
Interests: drug delivery systems; pharmaceutical technology; computational chemistry; molecular dynamics; clay minerals; design and characterization of dosage forms; drug release
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Interests: pharmaceutical technology; inorganic ingredients; 3D printing; 3D bioprinting; drug delivery; regenerative medicine; clay minerals; design and characterization of dosage forms

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute a full article, short communication, or review article to a Special Issue entitled “Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery”.

The development of novel drug delivery systems is a current challenge in the pharmaceutical field, with the aim of contributing to global health. In recent decades, inorganic biomaterials have shown great potential as excipients of novel formulations. In particular, they are low-cost carriers that can modify the drug release in order to improve the biopharmaceutical profile of drugs, treatment effectiveness and therapeutic compliance.

This Special Issue calls for studies on the design and formulation of novel dosage forms, including their characterization and drug release evaluation, as well as their biocompatibility and bioavailability (in vitro and/or in vivo tests). We also extend the invitation to researchers investigating the adsorption and release of drugs from excipients using computational calculations. This strategy provides important information at the atomistic level through static or dynamic calculations of the complexes.

Our final scope is to provide an overview of the latest advances in the field of pharmaceutical technology, including all steps from the design to the application of drug delivery systems, and future directions of the use of inorganic excipients for medical applications.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ana Borrego-Sánchez
Dr. Fátima García-Villén
Guest Editors

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. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2900 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

  • drug delivery systems
  • inorganic biomaterials
  • modified release
  • novel formulations
  • treatment
  • pharmaceutical technology
  • experimental studies
  • computational calculations
  • molecular modeling
  • wound healing

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3264 KiB  
Article
Improving Riparin-A Dissolution through a Laponite Based Nanohybrid
by Duanne Mendes Gomes, Lyghia Maria Araújo Meirelles, Paulo Monteiro Araujo, Rayran Walter Ramos de Sousa, Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Stanley Juan Chavez Gutierrez, Maria das Graças Freire de Medeiros and Fernanda Nervo Raffin
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(8), 2136; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15082136 - 14 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 591
Abstract
(1) Background: Riparin-A presents several pharmacological activities already elucidated, such as antimicrobial modulator, antileishmania, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antioxidant. Even with important bioactive effects, the applicability of Riparin-A is limited due to its low solubility in water, impairing its dissolution in biological fluids. [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Riparin-A presents several pharmacological activities already elucidated, such as antimicrobial modulator, antileishmania, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antioxidant. Even with important bioactive effects, the applicability of Riparin-A is limited due to its low solubility in water, impairing its dissolution in biological fluids. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a nanohybrid based on Riparin-A and Laponite to obtain a better dissolution profile and evaluate its cytotoxic potential. (2) Methods: The formation of a hybrid system was highlighted by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Solubility, dissolution, and cytotoxicity studies were performed; (3) Results: An increase in the solubility and aqueous dissolution rate of Riparin-A was observed in the presence of clay. Diffractometric analysis of the hybrid system suggests the amorphization of Riparin-A, and thermal analyses indicated attenuation of decomposition and melting of the Riparin-A after interaction with clay. Furthermore, the nanosystem did not exhibit cytotoxic activity on normal and tumorigenic lines. (4) Conclusions: These results are promising for the development of the Riparin-A/Laponite nanosystem for therapeutic purposes, suggesting an increase in the range of possible routes of administration and bioavailability of this bioactive compound. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery)
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25 pages, 6537 KiB  
Article
Development of Dipeptide N–acetyl–L–cysteine Loaded Nanostructured Carriers Based on Inorganic Layered Hydroxides
by Denise Eulálio, Mariana Pires Figueiredo, Christine Taviot-Gueho, Fabrice Leroux, Cristina Helena dos Reis Serra, Dalva Lúcia Araújo de Faria and Vera Regina Leopoldo Constantino
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(3), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15030955 - 15 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1678
Abstract
N–acetyl–L–cysteine (NAC), a derivative of the L–cysteine amino acid, presents antioxidant and mucolytic properties of pharmaceutical interest. This work reports the preparation of organic-inorganic nanophases aiming for the development of drug delivery systems based on NAC intercalation into layered double hydroxides (LDH) [...] Read more.
N–acetyl–L–cysteine (NAC), a derivative of the L–cysteine amino acid, presents antioxidant and mucolytic properties of pharmaceutical interest. This work reports the preparation of organic-inorganic nanophases aiming for the development of drug delivery systems based on NAC intercalation into layered double hydroxides (LDH) of zinc–aluminum (Zn2Al–NAC) and magnesium–aluminum (Mg2Al–NAC) compositions. A detailed characterization of the synthesized hybrid materials was performed, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, solid-state 13carbon and 27aluminum nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry coupled to mass spectrometry (TG/DSC–MS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental chemical analysis to assess both chemical composition and structure of the samples. The experimental conditions allowed to isolate Zn2Al–NAC nanomaterial with good crystallinity and a loading capacity of 27.3 (m/m)%. On the other hand, NAC intercalation was not successful into Mg2Al–LDH, being oxidized instead. In vitro drug delivery kinetic studies were performed using cylindrical tablets of Zn2Al–NAC in a simulated physiological solution (extracellular matrix) to investigate the release profile. After 96 h, the tablet was analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy. NAC was replaced by anions such as hydrogen phosphate by a slow diffusion-controlled ion exchange process. Zn2Al–NAC fulfil basic requirements to be employed as a drug delivery system with a defined microscopic structure, appreciable loading capacity, and allowing a controlled release of NAC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery)
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14 pages, 4449 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Computational Study for the Design of Sulfathiazole Dosage Form with Clay Mineral
by Eugenia Moreno-Domínguez, Ana Borrego-Sánchez, Rita Sánchez-Espejo, César Viseras and Claro Ignacio Sainz-Díaz
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(2), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15020575 - 08 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1148
Abstract
Sulfathiazole is an antimicrobial belonging to the family of sulfonamides, which were the first antibiotics to be discovered. Sulfathiazole is generally administered orally, and its main disadvantage is that it has low aqueous solubility, requiring high doses for its administration. This fact has [...] Read more.
Sulfathiazole is an antimicrobial belonging to the family of sulfonamides, which were the first antibiotics to be discovered. Sulfathiazole is generally administered orally, and its main disadvantage is that it has low aqueous solubility, requiring high doses for its administration. This fact has led to side effects and the generation of bacterial resistance to the drug over time. The improvement of its solubility would mean not having to administer such high doses in its treatment. At the same time, montmorillonite is a natural, low-cost, non-toxic, biocompatible clay with a high adsorption capacity. It is potentially useful as a nanocarrier to design sulfathiazole dosage forms. In this work, the interaction between the drug and the clay mineral has been studied from an experimental and computational atomistic point of view to improve the drug’s biopharmaceutical profile. The results showed the potential enhancement of the drug solubility due to the correct adsorption of the sulfathiazole in the clay interlayer space. As a result of the inclusion of sulfathiazole in the interlayer of the clay mineral, the solubility of the drug increased by 220% concerning the pristine drug. Experimentally, it was not possible to know the number of drug molecules adsorbed in the interlayer space or the external surface of the carrier. Theoretical studies will enable the knowledge of the stoichiometry of the drug/clay hybrids, with three molecules in the interlayer space being the most favorable process. The resultant basal spacing was in agreement with the experimental results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery)
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11 pages, 2815 KiB  
Article
Kinetics of Drug Release from Clay Using Enhanced Sampling Methods
by Ana Borrego-Sánchez, Jayashrita Debnath and Michele Parrinello
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(12), 2586; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122586 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1300
Abstract
A key step in the development of a new drug, is the design of drug–excipient complexes that lead to optimal drug release kinetics. Computational chemistry and specifically enhanced sampling molecular dynamics methods can play a key role in this context, by minimizing the [...] Read more.
A key step in the development of a new drug, is the design of drug–excipient complexes that lead to optimal drug release kinetics. Computational chemistry and specifically enhanced sampling molecular dynamics methods can play a key role in this context, by minimizing the need for expensive experiments, and reducing cost and time. Here we show that recent advances in enhanced sampling methodologies can be brought to fruition in this area. We demonstrate the potential of these methodologies by simulating the drug release kinetics of the complex praziquantel–montmorillonite in water. Praziquantel finds promising applications in the treatment of schistosomiasis, but its biopharmaceutical profile needs to be improved, and a cheap material such as the montmorillonite clay would be a very convenient excipient. We simulate the drug release both from surface and interlayer space, and find that the diffusion of the praziquantel inside the interlayer space is the process that limits the rate of drug release. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery)
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Review

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33 pages, 4032 KiB  
Review
Zeolites as Ingredients of Medicinal Products
by Iane M. S. Souza, Fátima García-Villén, César Viseras and Sibele B. C. Pergher
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(5), 1352; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15051352 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2451
Abstract
Development of new medicinal products for particular therapeutic treatment or for better manipulations with better quality and less side effects are possible as a result of advanced inorganic and organic materials application, among which zeolites, due to their properties and versatility, have been [...] Read more.
Development of new medicinal products for particular therapeutic treatment or for better manipulations with better quality and less side effects are possible as a result of advanced inorganic and organic materials application, among which zeolites, due to their properties and versatility, have been gaining attention. This paper is an overview of the development in the use of zeolite materials and their composites and modifications as medicinal products for several purposes such as active agents, carriers, for topical treatments, oral formulations, anticancer, the composition of theragnostic systems, vaccines, parenteral dosage forms, tissue engineering, etc. The objective of this review is to explore the main properties of zeolites and associate them with their drug interaction, mainly addressing the advances and studies related to the use of zeolites for different types of treatments due to their zeolite characteristics such as molecule storage capacity, physical and chemical stability, cation exchange capacity, and possibility of functionalization. The use of computational tools to predict the drug—zeolite interaction is also explored. As conclusion was possible to realize the possibilities and versatility of zeolite applications as being able to act in several aspects of medicinal products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inorganic Biomaterials for Drug Delivery)
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