Polysaccharide-based aerogels—Promising biodegradable carriers for drug delivery systems

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 86; no. 4; pp. 1425 - 1438
• Main Authors: García-González, C.A., Alnaief, M., Smirnova, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.10.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aerogel; Aerogel technology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Drug carrier; Exact sciences and technology; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Nanoporous bio-based material; Natural polymers; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polysaccharide; Starch and polysaccharides; Drug carrier; Aerogel technology; Nanoporous bio-based material; Aerogel; Polysaccharide; Control release polymer; Oside polymer; Review
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2011.06.066

Polysaccharide-based aerogels provide high added-value lightweight materials with outstanding surface area and open porosity, susceptible to be loaded with active compounds in pharmaceutical applications. Aerogels are obtained by coupling sol–gel processing to a suitable drying technology, usually supercritical drying. The size and morphology of aerogels can be customized by means of the choice of the proper processing technology. [Display omitted] ► State-of-the-art of polysaccharide aerogels for pharmaceutical uses are described. ► Aerogel technology provides highly porous, high surface area, lightweight carriers. ► Biodegradable and biocompatible carriers with high drug loading capacity are obtained. ► Processing parameters strongly influence the resulting end material properties. ► Case studies on polysaccharide aerogels and their use in drug delivery are described. Polysaccharides are regarded as key ingredients for the production of bio-based materials in life sciences (e.g., food, cosmetics, medical devices, pharmaceutics). The biodegradability and biocompatibility of these biopolymers, coupled to the large variety of chemical functionalities they encompass, make them promising carriers for drug delivery systems. Aerogels are a special class of nanoporous materials with growing interest in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications due to their open pore structure and high surface area. Polysaccharide-based aerogels result in highly porous (ɛ=90–99%), lightweight (ρ=0.07–0.46g/cm3) drug carriers with high surface area (Sa=70–680m2/g), able to provide enhanced drug bioavailability and drug loading capacity. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art of the production of polysaccharide-based aerogels with emphasis on the influence of processing parameters on the resulting end material properties. Case studies on polysaccharide-based aerogels from several sources and own results as well as their behavior regarding drug loading capacity and release are described.