Spotlight on Biomimetic Systems Based on Lyotropic Liquid Crystal

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 3; p. 419
• Main Authors: de Souza, Juliana F, Pontes, Katiusca da S, Alves, Thais F R, Amaral, Venâncio A, Rebelo, Márcia de A, Hausen, Moema A, Chaud, Marco V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07.03.2017; MDPI
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Bioavailability; Biocompatibility; Biodegradability; Biomedical materials; Biomimetic materials; biomimetic systems; Biomimetics - methods; Biosensing Techniques; Collagen; Design; Drug Carriers; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Liberation; Elasticity; Emulsions; Hexagonal phase; immunodetection; Laboratories; Lamellar structure; Lipids; Liquid crystals; Liquid Crystals - chemistry; Loading rate; lyotropic liquid crystals; Moisture content; Permeability; Phase transitions; Physical properties; Physiology; Review; Rheology; Self-assembly; Surfactants; Viscosity; biomimetic systems; drug carriers; liquid crystals; lyotropic liquid crystals; immunodetection
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules22030419

The behavior of lyotropic biomimetic systems in drug delivery was reviewed. These behaviors are influenced by drug properties, the initial water content, type of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC), swell ability, drug loading rate, the presence of ions with higher or less kosmotropic or chaotropic force, and the electrostatic interaction between the drug and the lipid bilayers. The in vivo interaction between LCC-drugs, and the impact on the bioavailability of drugs, was reviewed. The LLC with a different architecture can be formed by the self-assembly of lipids in aqueous medium, and can be tuned by the structures and physical properties of the emulsion. These LLC lamellar phase, cubic phase, and hexagonal phase, possess fascinating viscoelastic properties, which make them useful as a dispersion technology, and a highly ordered, thermodynamically stable internal nanostructure, thereby offering the potential as a sustained drug release matrix for drug delivery. In addition, the biodegradable and biocompatible nature of lipids demonstrates a minimum toxicity and thus, they are used for various routes of administration. This review is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview, but focuses on the advantages over non modified conventional materials and LLC biomimetic properties.