scholarly journals A Review on Characterizations and Biocompatibility of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes in Drug Delivery Design

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia M. Tan ◽  
Palanisamy Arulselvan ◽  
Sharida Fakurazi ◽  
Hairuszah Ithnin ◽  
Mohd Zobir Hussein

The revolutionary development of functionalized carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) for applications in nanomedicine has emerged as one of the most interesting fields, which has increased exponentially in recent years. This is due to their appealing physical and chemical properties, as well as their unique architecture. After a brief introduction on the physicochemical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), we described several functionalization methods for the surface modification of CNTs, with the aim to facilitate their solubility in physiological aqueous environment. This review focuses on recent advances in drug delivery design based onf-CNTs with an emphasis on the determination of various parameters involved and characterization methods used in order to achieve higher therapeutic efficacy of targeted drug delivery. In particular, we will highlight a variety of different analytical techniques which can be used to characterize the elemental composition, chemical structure, and functional groups introduced onto the CNTs after surface modification. We also review the current progress of availablein vitrobiocompatibility assays based onf-CNTs and then discuss their toxicological profile and biodistribution for advanced drug delivery.

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1331
Author(s):  
Claudia Sandoval-Yañez ◽  
Leslie Escobar ◽  
Cristián A. Amador

In recent years, polymeric hydrogels (PolyHy) have been extensively explored for their applications in biomedicine as biosensors, in tissue engineering, diagnostic processes, and drug release. The physical and chemical properties of PolyHy indicate their potential use in regulating drug delivery. Calcineurin inhibitors, particularly cyclosporine (CsA) and tacrolimus (TAC), are two important immunosuppressor drugs prescribed upon solid organ transplants. Although these drugs have been used since the 1970s to significantly increase the survival of transplanted organs, there are concerns regarding their undesirable side effects, primarily due to their highly variable concentrations. In fact, calcineurin inhibitors lead to acute and chronic toxicities that primarily cause adverse effects such as hypertension and nephrotoxicity. It is suggested from the evidence that the encapsulation of calcineurin inhibitors into PolyHy based on polysaccharides, specifically alginate (Alg), offers effective drug delivery with a stable immunosuppressive response at the in vitro and in vivo levels. This not only may reduce the adverse effects but also would improve the adherence of the patients by the effective preservation of drug concentrations in the therapeutic ranges.


NANO ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 1450002 ◽  
Author(s):  
AVINASH P. NAYAK ◽  
ANDREI DOLOCAN ◽  
JONGHO LEE ◽  
HSIAO-YU CHANG ◽  
TWINKLE PANDHI ◽  
...  

By acoustically irradiating pristine, white, electrically insulating h- BN in aqueous environment we were able to invert its material properties. The resulting dark, electrically conductive h- BN (referred to as partially oxidized h- BN or PO- hBN ) shows a significant decrease in optical transmission (>60%) and bandgap (from 5.46 eV to 3.97 eV). Besides employing a wide variety of analytical techniques (optical and electrical measurements, Raman spectroscopy, SEM imaging, EDS, X-Ray diffraction, XPS and TOF-SIMS) to study the material properties of pristine and irradiated h- BN , our investigation suggests the basic mechanism leading to the dramatic changes following the acoustic treatment. We find that the degree of inversion arises from the degree of h- BN surface or edge oxidation which heavily depends on the acoustic energy density provided to the pristine h- BN platelets during the solution-based process. This provides a facile avenue for the realization of materials with tuned physical and chemical properties that depart from the intrinsic behavior of pristine h- BN .


Author(s):  
L H Baldaniya ◽  
Sarkhejiya N A

Hydrogels are the material of choice for many applications in regenerative medicine due to their unique properties including biocompatibility, flexible methods of synthesis, range of constituents, and desirable physical characteristics. Hydrogel (also called Aquagel) is a network of polymer chains that are hydrophilic, sometimes found as a colloidal gel in which water is the dispersion medium. Hydrogels are highly absorbent (contain ~99.9% water), natural or synthetic polymers. Hydrogel also possess a degree of flexibility very similar to natural tissue, due to its significant water content. It can serve as scaffolds that provide structural integrity to tissue constructs, control drug and protein delivery to tissues and cultures. Also serve as adhesives or barriers between tissue and material surfaces. The positive effect of hydrogels on wounds and enhanced wound healing process has been proven. Hydrogels provide a warm, moist environment for wound that makes it heal faster in addition to its useful mucoadhesive properties. Moreover, hydrogels can be used as carriers for liposomes containing variety of drugs, such as antimicrobial drugs. Hydrogels are water swollen polymer matrices, with a tendency to imbibe water when placed in aqueous environment. This ability to swell, under biological conditions, makes it an ideal material for use in drug delivery and immobilization of proteins, peptides, and other biological compounds. Hydrogels have been extensively investigated for use as constructs to engineer tissues in vitro. This review describes the properties, classification, preparation methods, applications, various monomer used in formulation and development of hydrogel products.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 745
Author(s):  
Enrico Bergamaschi ◽  
Giacomo Garzaro ◽  
Georgia Wilson Jones ◽  
Martina Buglisi ◽  
Michele Caniglia ◽  
...  

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are erroneously considered as singular material entities. Instead, they should be regarded as a heterogeneous class of materials bearing different properties eliciting peculiar biological outcomes both in vitro and in vivo. Given the pace at which the industrial production of CNTs/CNFs is increasing, it is becoming of utmost importance to acquire comprehensive knowledge regarding their biological activity and their hazardous effects in humans. Animal studies carried out by inhalation showed that some CNTs/CNFs species can cause deleterious effects such as inflammation and lung tissue remodeling. Their physico-chemical properties, biological behavior and biopersistence make them similar to asbestos fibers. Human studies suggest some mild effects in workers handling CNT/CNF. However, owing to their cross-sectional design, researchers have been as yet unable to firmly demonstrate a causal relationship between such an exposure and the observed effects. Estimation of acceptable exposure levels should warrant a proper risk management. The aim of this review is to challenge the conception of CNTs/CNFs as a single, unified material entity and prompt the establishment of standardized hazard and exposure assessment methodologies able to properly feeding risk assessment and management frameworks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
M. R. Mozafari ◽  
E. Mazaheri ◽  
K. Dormiani

Introduction: Bioactive encapsulation and drug delivery systems have already found their way to the market as efficient therapeutics to combat infections, viral diseases and different types of cancer. The fields of food fortification, nutraceutical supplementation and cosmeceuticals have also been getting the benefit of encapsulation technologies. Aim: Successful formulation of such therapeutic and nutraceutical compounds requires thorough analysis and assessment of certain characteristics including particle number and surface area without the need to employ sophisticated analytical techniques. Solution: Here we present simple mathematical formulas and equations used in the research and development of drug delivery and controlled release systems employed for bioactive encapsulation and targeting the sites of infection and cancer in vitro and in vivo. Systems covered in this entry include lipidic vesicles, polymeric capsules, metallic particles as well as surfactant- and tocopherol-based micro- and nanocarriers.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josué A. Torres-Ávalos ◽  
Leonardo R. Cajero-Zul ◽  
Milton Vázquez-Lepe ◽  
Fernando A. López-Dellamary ◽  
Antonio Martínez-Richa ◽  
...  

Design of a smart drug delivery system is a topic of current interest. Under this perspective, polymer nanocomposites (PNs) of butyl acrylate (BA), methacrylic acid (MAA), and functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTsf) were synthesized by in situ emulsion polymerization (IEP). Carbon nanotubes were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and purified with steam. Purified CNTs were analyzed by FE-SEM and HR-TEM. CNTsf contain acyl chloride groups attached to their surface. Purified and functionalized CNTs were studied by FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies. The synthesized nanocomposites were studied by XPS, 13C-NMR, and DSC. Anhydride groups link CNTsf to MAA–BA polymeric chains. The potentiality of the prepared nanocomposites, and of their pure polymer matrices to deliver hydrocortisone, was evaluated in vitro by UV–VIS spectroscopy. The relationship between the chemical structure of the synthesized nanocomposites, or their pure polymeric matrices, and their ability to release hydrocortisone was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. The hydrocortisone release profile of some of the studied nanocomposites is driven by a change in the inter-associated to self-associated hydrogen bonds balance. The CNTsf used to prepare the studied nanocomposites act as hydrocortisone reservoirs.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2998
Author(s):  
Mohammed Nadeem Bijle ◽  
Manikandan Ekambaram ◽  
Edward Lo ◽  
Cynthia Yiu

The in vitro study objectives were to investigate the effect of arginine (Arg) incorporation in a 5% sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish on its physical and chemical properties including F/Arg release. Six experimental formulations were prepared with L-arginine (L-Arg) and L-arginine monohydrochloride at 2%, 4%, and 8% w/v in a 5% NaF varnish, which served as a control. The varnishes were subjected to assessments for adhesion, viscosity, and NaF extraction. Molecular dynamics were simulated to identify post-dynamics total energy for NaF=Arg/Arg>NaF/Arg<NaF concentrations. The Arg/F varnish release profiles were determined in polyacrylic lactate buffer (pH-4.5; 7 days) and artificial saliva (pH-7; 1 h, 24 h, and 12 weeks). Incorporation of L-Arg in NaF varnish significantly influences physical properties ameliorating retention (p < 0.001). L-Arg in NaF varnish institutes the Arg-F complex. Molecular dynamics suggests that NaF>Arg concentration denotes the stabilized environment compared to NaF<Arg (p < 0.001). The 2% Arg-NaF exhibits periodic perennial Arg/F release and shows significantly higher integrated mean F release than NaF (p < 0.001). Incorporating 2% L-arginine in 5% NaF varnish improves its physical properties and renders a stable matrix with enduring higher F/Arg release than control.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 3610
Author(s):  
Jialin Yu ◽  
Huayu Qiu ◽  
Shouchun Yin ◽  
Hebin Wang ◽  
Yang Li

Pluronic polymers (pluronics) are a unique class of synthetic triblock copolymers containing hydrophobic polypropylene oxide (PPO) and hydrophilic polyethylene oxide (PEO) arranged in the PEO-PPO-PEO manner. Due to their excellent biocompatibility and amphiphilic properties, pluronics are an ideal and promising biological material, which is widely used in drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and treatment, among other applications. Through self-assembly or in combination with other materials, pluronics can form nano carriers with different morphologies, representing a kind of multifunctional pharmaceutical excipients. In recent years, the utilization of pluronic-based multi-functional drug carriers in tumor treatment has become widespread, and various responsive drug carriers are designed according to the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, resulting in major progress in tumor therapy. This review introduces the specific role of pluronic-based polymer drug delivery systems in tumor therapy, focusing on their physical and chemical properties as well as the design aspects of pluronic polymers. Finally, using newer literature reports, this review provides insights into the future potential and challenges posed by different pluronic-based polymer drug delivery systems in tumor therapy.


2007 ◽  
Vol 994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Suzuki ◽  
Yoshihiro Kobayashi

AbstractWe show that low-energy (20 eV–20 keV) electron or photon irradiation extinguishes the characteristic physical and chemical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes, indicating that the irradiation damages the nanotubes. The irradiation-induced defects convert the electric properties of metallic SWNTs to semiconducting, and the nominal bandgap can be tuned simply by the irradiation dose. The defects also have the following interesting properties. The damage and recovery are reversible, indicating that the number of carbon atoms is preserved. The damage and recovery strongly depend on the diameter, suggesting that the damage is prominent in a rolled up graphene sheet, but not in a planar one. The activation energy of the defect healing is so small, depending on the diameter, that the defects can be healed even at room temperature or below.


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