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Polymer-Based Nanoparticles for Bio-Chemical Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 4194

Special Issue Editors

College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
Interests: MOFs; biosensors; polymer dots for food safety; biomedical applications; nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, China
Interests: luminescent materials; polymer dots; biosensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer-based nanoparticles (NPs) including stimuli-responsive polymers nanoparticles, semiconducting polymers dots, liposomes, metal-based NPs, silica NPs, carbon dots, and hybrid organic–inorganic NPs. Among all of these, polymer-based NPs are receiving more attention for use in biochemical applications, such as biosensing, biomedical, bio-separation, bio-imaging and food packaging, etc.

Despite the progress and results obtained by many researchers, the overall performance of polymer-based nanoparticles is still insufficient for some emerging applications, which require the combination of various properties. Thus, NCPs are still an exciting field of research.

Considering the significance of this area, the goal of this Special Issue is to present a selection of research papers and reviews collecting the latest results in the field of polymer-based NPs. Both synthetic and natural polymer-based NPs are considered. All topics about biosensing, biomedical, bio-separation, bio-imaging, and other challenging topics are welcomed in this Special Issue.

Dr. Zhaoyang Ding
Dr. Xiaobo Zhou
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. 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

  • Stimuli-responsive polymers
  • Semiconducting polymers
  • Chemo- and biosensors
  • Biomedical applications
  • Smart packaging
  • Biobased polymers

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2070 KiB  
Article
Formulation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Eudragit-Coated Saxagliptin Nanoparticles Using 3 Factorial Design Modules
by Yahya Alhamhoom, Gundawar Ravi, Riyaz Ali M. Osmani, Umme Hani and Gowrav M. Prakash
Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7510; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27217510 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1338
Abstract
Background and Introduction: Saxagliptin is a hypoglycemic drug that acts as a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor and is preferably used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). It is safe and tolerable; however, the major disadvantage associated with it is its [...] Read more.
Background and Introduction: Saxagliptin is a hypoglycemic drug that acts as a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor and is preferably used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). It is safe and tolerable; however, the major disadvantage associated with it is its low bioavailability. Aim: The present research aimed to enhance the bioavailability of the drug by enteric coating with a polymer that controls the rate of drug delivery, and it was prepared as Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs). Methodology: In the current study, various SLN formulations were developed using a central composite design (CCD) module using Design Expert-11 software. A modified solvent injection technique was used to prepare Saxagliptin nanoparticles coated with Eudragit RS100. The CCD was used to determine the independent variables and their effect on dependent variables at varied levels. Evaluation studies such as particle size analysis, Zeta potential, polydispersity index (PDI), drug loading, entrapment efficiency, in-vitro drug release studies, and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies were performed for the optimized SLN formulation. The reversed-phase HPLC method was developed and validated for the estimation of the pharmacokinetic parameters of the pure drug and prepared SLNs. Results: The effect of independent variables (A1: amount of lipid, A2: amount of polymer, A3: surfactant concentration, and A4: homogenization speed) on dependent variables (R1: particle size, and R2: entrapment efficiency) was established in great detail. Observed responses of the prepared and optimized Saxagliptin SLN were close to the predicted values by the CCD. The prepared SLNs depicted particle sizes in the range of 212–442 nm. The particle size analysis results showed that an increase in the lipid concentration led to an increase in particle size. The developed bioanalytical method was noted to be very specific and robust. The method accuracy varied from 99.16% to 101.95% for intraday, and 96.08% to 103.12% for inter day operation at low (5 mcg/mL), moderate (10 mcg/mL), and higher (15 mcg/mL) drug concentrations. The observed Zeta potential values for the prepared SLNs were in the range of −41.09 ± 0.11 to 30.86 ± 0.63 mV suggesting quite good stability of the SLNs without any aggregation. Moreover, the polydispersity indices were in the range of 0.26 ± 0.051 to 0.45 ± 0.017, indicative of uniformity of sizes among the prepared SLNs. In vivo study outcomes proved that Saxagliptin oral bioavailability significantly enhanced in male Albino Wistar Rats via SLN formulation and Eudragit RS100 coating approach. Conclusions: The developed and optimized Saxagliptin SLNs revealed enhanced Saxagliptin bioavailability in comparison to the native drug. Thus, this formulation strategy can be of great importance and can be implied as a promising approach to enhance the Saxagliptin bioavailability for facilitated T2DM therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Nanoparticles for Bio-Chemical Applications)
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16 pages, 3051 KiB  
Article
Release of Cinnamaldehyde and Thymol from PLA/Tilapia Fish Gelatin-Sodium Alginate Bilayer Films to Liquid and Solid Food Simulants, and Japanese Sea Bass: A Comparative Study
by Jingwen Chen, Yinxuan Li, Wenzheng Shi, Hui Zheng, Li Wang and Li Li
Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7140; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26237140 - 25 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2494
Abstract
This study aimed to develop an active biodegradable bilayer film and to investigate the release behaviors of active compounds into different food matrices. Cinnamaldehyde (CI) or thymol (Ty) was encapsulated in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to prepare the active β-CD inclusion [...] Read more.
This study aimed to develop an active biodegradable bilayer film and to investigate the release behaviors of active compounds into different food matrices. Cinnamaldehyde (CI) or thymol (Ty) was encapsulated in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to prepare the active β-CD inclusion complex (β-CD-CI/β-CD-Ty). The tilapia fish gelatin-sodium alginate composite (FGSA) containing β-CD-CI or β-CD-Ty was coated on the surface of PLA film to obtain the active bilayer film. Different food simulants including liquid food simulants (water, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, and 95% ethanol), solid dry food simulant (modified polyphenylene oxide (Tenax TA)), and the real food (Japanese sea bass) were selected to investigate the release behaviors of bilayer films into different food matrixes. The results showed that the prepared β-CD inclusion complexes distributed evenly in the cross-linking structure of FGSA and improved the thickness and water contact angle of the bilayer films. Active compounds possessed the lowest release rates in Tenax TA, compared to the release to liquid simulants and sea bass. CI and Ty sustained the release to the sea bass matrix with a similar behavior to the release to 95% ethanol. The bilayer film containing β-CD-Ty exhibited stronger active antibacterial and antioxidant activities, probably due to the higher release efficiency of Ty in test mediums. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Nanoparticles for Bio-Chemical Applications)
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