Docosahexaenoic acid triglyceride-based microemulsions with an added dendrimer – Structural considerations

Organic and Biogenic Nanocarriers as Bio-Friendly Systems for Bioactive Compounds' Delivery: State-of-the Art and Challenges

"Green" strategies to build up novel organic nanocarriers with bioperformance are modern trends in nanotechnology. In this way, the valorization of bio-wastes and the use of living systems to develop multifunctional organic and biogenic nanocarriers (OBNs) have revolutionized the nanotechnological and biomedical fields. This paper is a comprehensive review related to OBNs for bioactives' delivery, providing an overview of the reports on the past two decades. In the first part, several classes of bioactive compounds and their therapeutic role are briefly presented. A broad section is dedicated to the main categories of organic and biogenic nanocarriers. The major challenges regarding the eco-design and the fate of OBNs are suggested to overcome some toxicity-related drawbacks. Future directions and opportunities, and finding "green" solutions for solving the problems related to nanocarriers, are outlined in the final of this paper. We believe that through this review, we will capture the attention of the readers and will open new perspectives for new solutions/ideas for the discovery of more efficient and "green" ways in developing novel bioperformant nanocarriers for transporting bioactive agents.

Paradigm of lyotropic liquid crystals in tissue regeneration

The liquid crystalline phase has attracted tremendous attention from researchers across the globe due to its intriguing properties. In this article, we enumerate the different classes of liquid crystals. Lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) exhibit their liquid crystalline nature based on the surrounding solvent media, which opens novel horizons in drug delivery and tissue regeneration. The advantages of LLCs in the said fields and the thermodynamic mechanistic insights responsible for their structural stabilization have been conveyed. Various fabrication and characterization techniques, along with factors influencing the formation of LLCs, have been discussed. Applications in novel therapeutic avenues like bone extracellular matrix, cardiac remodeling, wound management, and implants have been unveiled. Also, regulatory considerations, patent, and clinical portfolios to circumvent the hurdles of clinical translation have been discussed. LLCs could be a promising approach in diverse avenues of tissue regeneration.

Development of polymeric films embedded with liquid nanodomains

Modified microemulsions (MEs), termed by us nanodomains (NDs), seem to be suitable vehicles for dermal drug delivery due to their high surface area and the interface enriched with membrane recognizing agents, penetration enhancers, and other components. However, liquid nanodomains do not provide a controlled release of the bioactive through the skin. Therefore, the main goal of our present study is to develop a film polymeric platform embedded with liquid nanovehicles for the controlled release of drugs. This study provides a fundamental understanding of the main challenges of the preparation of special films capable of embedding nanodomains without destroying them. We describe film formation from "nanodomains destructive polymers" causing coalescence of the nanodroplets followed by structural failure compared to the formation from "constructive polymer" leading to the homogeneous, transparent films with a high loading capacity of nanodomains (up to 90 wt%). Using various fundamental structural techniques, we found that the film-forming process and its redissolution suggest the reconstitution of nanodomains with original structure and similar droplet size diameter ca. 12 nm. Additionally, thermal behavior studies demonstrated that the film does not have "free" or "bulk" water compared to well-defined free water peaks in liquid nanodomains systems. The embedded film with drug-loaded nanodomains offers a significant advantage as a drug delivery platform for controlled release long-term therapy.

Incorporation of curcumin in liquid nanodomains embedded into polymeric films for dermal application

Liquid nanovehicles are gaining interest in drug delivery because of the high solubilization capacity of bioactives at their interface and enhanced permeation of compounds across physiological membranes. However, the dermal application of liquid nanovehicles is still limited. The goal of this research is to develop a dermal delivery system based on embedding of liquid nanovehicles into polymeric films, which will allow controlled release of the nanodroplets with the solubilized drug. In this study, we describe the incorporation of empty and curcumin-loaded nanodomains into polymeric film. The novel technology results in formation of homogeneous, transparent and elastic films with high (up to 85 wt%) loading capacity of nanodomains. The fundamental structural characterizations show that nanodomain structures embedded in the dry film are spontaneously reformed during the dermal application with similar droplets size of 10 nm. Ex-vivo release studies were performed on Franz diffusion cells and demonstrated a significant permeation of curcumin through the pig skin. This novel film technology can serve as a "solid platform reservoir" for liquid nanovehicles which enables controlled release of nanodroplets with solubilized bioactive.

Dendrimers as efficient nanocarriers for the protection and delivery of bioactive phytochemicals

The genesis of dendrimers can be considered as a revolution in nano-scaled bioactive delivery systems. These structures possess a unique potential in encapsulating/entrapping bioactive ingredients due to their tree-like nature. Therefore, they could swiftly obtain a valuable statue in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medical sciences. Phytochemicals, as a large proportion of bioactives, have been studied and used by scholars in several fields of pharmacology, medical, food, and cosmetic for many years. But, the solubility, stability, and bioavailability issues have always been recognized as limiting factors in their application. Therefore, the main aim of this study is representing the use of dendrimers as novel nanocarriers for phytochemical bioactive compounds to deal with these problems. Hence, after a brief review of phytochemical ingredients, the text is commenced with a detailed explanation of dendrimers, including definitions, types, generations, synthesizing methods, and safety issues; then is continued with demonstration of their applications in encapsulation of phytochemical bioactive compounds and their active/passive delivery by dendrimers. Dendrimers provide a vast and appropriate surface to entrap the targeted phytochemical bioactive ingredients. Several parameters can affect the yield of nanoencapsulation by dendrimers, including their generation, type of end groups, surface charge, core structure, pH, and ambient factors. Another important issue of dendrimers is related to their toxicity. Cationic dendrimers, particularly PAMAM can be toxic to body cells through attaching to the cell membranes and disturbing their functions. However, a number of solutions have been suggested to decrease their toxicity.

Exploring the Interactions of Ruthenium (II) Carbosilane Metallodendrimers and Precursors with Model Cell Membranes through a Dual Spin-Label Spin-Probe Technique Using EPR

Dendrimers exhibit unique interactions with cell membranes, arising from their nanometric size and high surface area. To a great extent, these interactions define their biological activity and can be reported in situ by spin-labelling techniques. Schiff-base carbosilane ruthenium (II) metallodendrimers are promising antitumor agents with a mechanism of action yet to explore. In order to study their in situ interactions with model cell membranes occurring at a molecular level, namely cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles (CTAB) and lecithin liposomes (LEC), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was selected. Both a spin probe, 4-(N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl)ammonium-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl bromide (CAT12), able to enter the model membranes, and a spin label, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) covalently attached at newly synthesized heterofunctional dendrimers, were used to provide complementary information on the dendrimer-membrane interactions. The computer-aided EPR analysis demonstrated a good agreement between the results obtained for the spin probe and spin label experiments. Both points of view suggested the partial insertion of the dendrimer surface groups into the surfactant aggregates, mainly CTAB micelles, and the occurrence of both polar and hydrophobic interactions, while dendrimer-LEC interactions involved more polar interactions between surface groups. We found out that subtle changes in the dendrimer structure greatly modified their interacting abilities and, subsequently, their anticancer activity.

Micro-characterization of modified microemulsions loaded with gossypol, pure and extracted from cottonseed

Microemulsions (MEs) have gained increasing interest as carriers of hydrophobic bioactives in the last decades. However, it is still difficult to control the uptake and the release of bioactives directly extracted from plants. In this study, modified ME nanodroplets (nano-sized self-assembled liquids, NSSLs) were employed as extraction medium of gossypol, a toxic component of cottonseed. Loading was performed using both pure gossypol, and gossypol obtained by extraction from cottonseed. We achieved two goals: i) remove gossypol from cottonseed to obtain cotton-oil free of gossypol; and ii) extract gossypol directly into a nano-delivery vehicle for biomedical purposes. Structural and dynamical information on the unloaded and gossypol-loaded NSSL systems were obtained by self-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance, SD-NMR, and spin-probe electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies. The results showed that NSSL formed fluid water-in-oil (W/O) nano domains at the lowest water contents; a more viscous bicontinuous structure at comparable oil and water contents, and, finally, oil-in-water (O/W, micellar-like) at the higher concentration of water. These micellar-like structures were more fluid at the external hydrated surface, as demonstrated by SD-NMR, while the lipidic region tested by EPR revealed an increasing packing. In all these structures, gossypol mainly localized in the lipophilic region close to the water interface. Overall, SD-NMR and EPR provided complementary information, helping to clarify the structural properties of NSSLs formed at different water contents and their ability to incorporate gossypol also directly from cottonseed-NSSL mixtures.

Potentiality of microemulsion systems in treatment of ophthalmic disorders: Keratoconus and dry eye syndrome - In vivo study

Microemulsions are widely studied as potential ocular drug delivery vehicles. In the present study we show the versatility of possible use microemulsions as ocular delivery vehicle. The ME is loaded with a hydrophilic drug, riboflavin phosphate (RFP) and a lipophilic, docosahexaenoic acid in triglyceride form (TG-DHA), each separately. These drugs treat keratoconus and dry eye syndrome, respectively. The advantage of using ME loaded with RFP is in overcoming eye epithelium debridement during collagen cross-linking therapy for treatment of keratoconus. ME loaded with lipophilic TG-DHA provides convenient dosage in liquid aqueous form of administration of highly lipophilic TG-DHA, which is known as a protective molecule in dry eye syndrome. The capability of RFP-loaded MEs was demonstrated in terms of improvement of biomechanical strength of the rabbit cornea, as a result of successful penetration of RFP through the intact epithelium. TG-DHA-loaded microemulsion applied topically onto an eye with induced dry eye syndrome showed the significant relief of the dry eye condition.

Characterization of Lipid-Based Lyotropic Liquid Crystal and Effects of Guest Molecules on Its Microstructure: a Systematic Review

Liquid crystals (LCs) are conventionally divided into thermotropic or lyotropic, based on the organization and sequence of the controlled molecular system. Lipid-based lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC), such as lamellar (Lα), bicontinuous cubic (Q_II), or hexagonal (H_II) phases, have attracted wide interest in the last few decades due to their practical potential in diverse applications and notable structural complexity. Various guest molecules, such as biopharmaceuticals, chemicals, and additives, can be solubilized in either aqueous or oily phase. And the LLC microstructure can be altered to affect the rate of drug release eventually. To utilize these microstructural variations to adjust the drug release in drug delivery system (DDS), it is crucial to understand the structure variations of the LLC caused by different types of guest molecules. Therefore, in this article, we review the effect of guest molecules on lipid-based LLC microstructures. In particular, we focus on the different characterization methods to evaluate this change caused by guest substances, such as polarized light microscopy (PLM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), self-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (SD-NMR), and so on.