International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

The issue is dedicated to nanoparticles, nanosized and submicron-sized structures that can be applied in a wide range of biomedical and food technologies. We focus on the multidisciplinary investigations of nanosized and submicron-sized structures with wide experimental design and property characterization. The authors can present new nanomaterials and nanostructure synthesis routes. Nano- and submicron-sized structure characterization technique applications are especially welcome. Nanocarriers such as core–shell systems, liposomes, nanoemulsions, as well as natural-based nanoparticle characterization are invited to this issue. Furthermore, biomaterial, nanosensor, liposome, metal oxide, and polymeric nanostructure development description is cordially welcome. Finally, we would like to present a new way for nanostructure investigations where researchers from different specializations, i.e., materials science, medicine, and food technology, chemistry and physics, etc., meet and present their ideas and results in nanoscience. Research articles, reviewarticles and mini-review are also welcome (review since past last 5 years).

Dr. Maciej Jarzębski
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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.

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

14 pages, 12278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Silica Microparticles from Sugarcane By-Products as an Encapsulation System for Retinoids Aimed at Topical Sustained Release

by Joana R. Costa, Ana Helena Costa, João Azevedo-Silva, Diana Tavares-Valente, Sérgio C. Sousa, Tânia Neto, Manuela E. Pintado and Ana Raquel Madureira

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(6), 3215; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063215 - 12 Mar 2024

Viewed by 454

Abstract

The encapsulation of retinol within silica microparticles has emerged as a promising opportunity in the realm of cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations, driven by the need to reinforce the photoprotection and oxidation stability of retinol. This work examines the process of encapsulating retinol into silica microparticles. The association efficiency, microparticle size, molecular structure, morphology, oxidation, and release profile, as well as biocompatibility and skin sensitization, were evaluated. Results showed that 0.03% of retinol and 9% of emulsifier leads to an association efficiency higher than 99% and a particle size with an average of 5.2 µm. FTIR results indicate that there is an association of retinol with the silica microparticles, and some may be on the surface. Microscopy indicates that when association happens, there is less aggregation of the particles. Oxidation occurs in two different phases, the first related to the retinol on the surface and the second to the associated retinol. In addition, a burst release of up to 3 h (30% free retinol, 17% associated retinol) was observed, as well as a sustained release of 44% of retinol up to 24 h. Encapsulation allowed an increase in the minimal skin cytotoxic concentrations of retinol from 0.04 μg/mL to 1.25 mg/mL without skin sensitization. Overall, retinol is protected when associated with silica microparticles, being safe to use in cosmetics and dermatology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multidisciplinary Investigations of Nanoparticle Synthesis and Analysis for Possible Biomedical and Food Technology Applications 3.0)

► Show Figures