Marine Polymers in Drug Release

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2021) | Viewed by 32693

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: drug controlled release; smart release; mucoadhesive vaginal systems; cyclodextrins; natural polymers
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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: drug controlled release; smart release; mucoadhesive vaginal systems; cyclodextrins; natural polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Ceramics and Glass Institute, CSIC, Kelsen 5, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: materials characterization; nanotechnology; nanomaterials synthesis; natural polymers films; advanced materials; controlled release
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Nowadays, the development of new pharmaceutical formulations is mainly focused on the achievement of a controlled and/or smart release. To reach this goal, excipients with the highest degree of specificity are needed. In this sense, the use of natural materials in pharmaceutical formulations is a well-accepted solution due their better biocompatibility than synthetic additives.

Because of the great biodiversity in marine organisms, the materials obtained from these sources exhibit a high portfolio of potential smart formulations. Perhaps this is why marine polymers are the most widely studied and used as excipients in the development of new dosage forms. Polymer production from algae has attracted much attention in the scientific community, thus opening a potential biotechnological market. Marine bioadhesive analogs and biomimetic synthetic materials have been tested as well, with quite promising results. Chitin and chitosan are of marine origin, and constitute a group of materials of proven utility in the fabrication of medicines. Apart from their usage as excipients, they have the potential to be used as adhesives and antimicrobial materials, which makes it possible to expand their use in many biomedical devices. Among carbohydrates (specifically those obtained from algae), agar, agarose, carrageenans, and some others are extensively used as thickeners and gellifiers, not only in conventional drug formulations but also in advanced drug delivery systems as a carrier combined with external stimuli. New solutions based on collagen, protein hydrolizates, and gelatins extracted from marine animals are also being explored.

The Editors of this Special Issue on ‘’Marine Polymers in Drug Release’’ are convinced that it will constitute an inflection point in the current research of drug delivery formulations. We also hope that the manuscripts published in this Issue will inspire other researchers to focus their investigations on more bio-sustainable and natural resources from oceans and seas.

Dr. Juan Rubio
Dr. Maria-Dolores Veiga
Dr. Aitana Tamayo
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. Marine Drugs 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

  • Pharmaceutical formulations
  • Controlled or smart drug release
  • Polysaccharides of marine origin
  • Chitosan
  • Collagen

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3316 KiB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Different Chitosan Species and Derivatives as Candidate Biomaterials for Oxygen-Loaded Nanodroplet Formulations to Treat Chronic Wounds
by Monica Argenziano, Bruno Bressan, Anna Luganini, Nicole Finesso, Tullio Genova, Adriano Troia, Giuliana Giribaldi, Giuliana Banche, Narcisa Mandras, Anna Maria Cuffini, Roberta Cavalli and Mauro Prato
Mar. Drugs 2021, 19(2), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/md19020112 - 15 Feb 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2866
Abstract
Persistent hypoxia is a main clinical feature of chronic wounds. Intriguingly, oxygen-loaded nanodroplets (OLNDs), filled with oxygen-solving 2H,3H-decafluoropentane and shelled with polysaccharides, have been proposed as a promising tool to counteract hypoxia by releasing a clinically relevant oxygen amount in a time-sustained manner. [...] Read more.
Persistent hypoxia is a main clinical feature of chronic wounds. Intriguingly, oxygen-loaded nanodroplets (OLNDs), filled with oxygen-solving 2H,3H-decafluoropentane and shelled with polysaccharides, have been proposed as a promising tool to counteract hypoxia by releasing a clinically relevant oxygen amount in a time-sustained manner. Here, four different types of chitosan (low or medium weight (LW or MW), glycol-(G-), and methylglycol-(MG-) chitosan) were compared as candidate biopolymers for shell manufacturing. The aim of the work was to design OLND formulations with optimized physico-chemical characteristics, efficacy in oxygen release, and biocompatibility. All OLND formulations displayed spherical morphology, cationic surfaces, ≤500 nm diameters (with LW chitosan-shelled OLNDs being the smallest), high stability, good oxygen encapsulation efficiency, and prolonged oxygen release kinetics. Upon cellular internalization, LW, MW, and G-chitosan-shelled nanodroplets did not significantly affect the viability, health, or metabolic activity of human keratinocytes (HaCaT cell line). On the contrary, MG-chitosan-shelled nanodroplets showed very poor biocompatibility. Combining the physico-chemical and the biological results obtained, LW chitosan emerges as the best candidate biopolymer for future OLND application as a skin device to treat chronic wounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Polymers in Drug Release)
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19 pages, 2933 KiB  
Article
Carrageenan-Based Acyclovir Mucoadhesive Vaginal Tablets for Prevention of Genital Herpes
by Edisson-Mauricio Pacheco-Quito, Roberto Ruiz-Caro, Juan Rubio, Aitana Tamayo and María-Dolores Veiga
Mar. Drugs 2020, 18(5), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/md18050249 - 11 May 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5722
Abstract
Women are the most affected by genital herpes, which is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting more than 400 million people worldwide. The application of vaginal microbicides could provide a safe method of protection. Acyclovir is a safe and effective [...] Read more.
Women are the most affected by genital herpes, which is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, affecting more than 400 million people worldwide. The application of vaginal microbicides could provide a safe method of protection. Acyclovir is a safe and effective medication for vaginal administration, and numerous benefits have been observed in the treatment of primary or recurrent lesions due to genital herpes. Vaginal tablets based on a combination of the polymers iota-carrageenan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose were developed for the controlled release of acyclovir. Swelling, mucoadhesion and drug release studies were carried out in simulated vaginal fluid. The tablets, containing a combination of iota-carrageenan and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, have an adequate uptake of the medium that allows them to develop the precise consistency and volume of gel for the controlled release of acyclovir. Its high mucoadhesive capacity also allows the formulation to remain in the vaginal area long enough to ensure the complete release of acyclovir. These promising formulations for the prevention of genital herpes deserve further evaluation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Polymers in Drug Release)
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Review

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18 pages, 2558 KiB  
Review
The Structural Characteristics of Seaweed Polysaccharides and Their Application in Gel Drug Delivery Systems
by Haowei Zhong, Xiaoran Gao, Cui Cheng, Chun Liu, Qiaowen Wang and Xiao Han
Mar. Drugs 2020, 18(12), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/md18120658 - 21 Dec 2020
Cited by 73 | Viewed by 8192
Abstract
In recent years, researchers across various fields have shown a keen interest in the exploitation of biocompatible natural polymer materials, especially the development and application of seaweed polysaccharides. Seaweed polysaccharides are a multi-component mixture composed of one or more monosaccharides, which have the [...] Read more.
In recent years, researchers across various fields have shown a keen interest in the exploitation of biocompatible natural polymer materials, especially the development and application of seaweed polysaccharides. Seaweed polysaccharides are a multi-component mixture composed of one or more monosaccharides, which have the functions of being anti-virus, anti-tumor, anti-mutation, anti-radiation and enhancing immunity. These biological activities allow them to be applied in various controllable and sustained anti-inflammatory and anticancer drug delivery systems, such as seaweed polysaccharide-based nanoparticles, microspheres and gels, etc. This review summarizes the advantages of alginic acid, carrageenan and other seaweed polysaccharides, and focuses on their application in gel drug delivery systems (such as nanogels, microgels and hydrogels). In addition, recent literature reports and applications of seaweed polysaccharides are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Polymers in Drug Release)
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39 pages, 4330 KiB  
Review
Carrageenan: Drug Delivery Systems and Other Biomedical Applications
by Edisson-Mauricio Pacheco-Quito, Roberto Ruiz-Caro and María-Dolores Veiga
Mar. Drugs 2020, 18(11), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/md18110583 - 23 Nov 2020
Cited by 210 | Viewed by 15153
Abstract
Marine resources are today a renewable source of various compounds, such as polysaccharides, that are used in the pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, and food fields. In recent years, considerable attention has been focused on carrageenan-based biomaterials due to their multifunctional qualities, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, [...] Read more.
Marine resources are today a renewable source of various compounds, such as polysaccharides, that are used in the pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, and food fields. In recent years, considerable attention has been focused on carrageenan-based biomaterials due to their multifunctional qualities, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, in addition to bioactive attributes, such as their antiviral, antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulating properties. They have been applied in pharmaceutical formulations as both their bioactive and physicochemical properties make them suitable biomaterials for drug delivery, and recently for the development of tissue engineering. This article provides a review of recent research on the various types of carrageenan-based biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Polymers in Drug Release)
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