Journal
NANOMEDICINE
Volume 6, Issue 7, Pages 1159-1173Publisher
FUTURE MEDICINE LTD
DOI: 10.2217/NNM.11.29
Keywords
diatom; diatomite; drug carriers; drug delivery; gentamicin; indomethacin; silica microcapsules
Funding
- Australian Research Council [LP 0989229]
- University of South Australia
- Mount Sylvia Diatomite Pty Ltd.
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Aim: This study explores the use of natural silica-based porous material from diatoms, known as diatomaceous earth, as a drug carrier of therapeutics for implant-and oral-delivery applications. Materials & Methods: To prove this concept, two drugs models were used and investigated: a hydrophobic (indomethacin) and hydrophilic (gentamicin). Results & Discussion: Results show the effectiveness of diatom microcapsules for drug-delivery application, showing 14-22 wt% drug loading capacity and sustained drug release over 2 weeks. Two steps in the drug release from diatom structures were observed: the first, rapid release (over 6 h is attributed to the surface deposited drug) and the second, slow and sustained release over 2 weeks with zero order kinetics. Conclusion: These results confirm that natural material based on diatom silica can be successfully applied as a drug carrier for both oral and implant drug-delivery applications, offering considerable potential to replace existing synthetic nanomaterials.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available