Recent Strategies for Delivery of Plant-Based Active Ingredients

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 788

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; cyclodextrin; drug/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes; nanoparticles; nanostructures; supramolecular chemistry; anticancer therapy; antibacterial therapy; neurodegenerative disease; autoimmune pathologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; cyclodextrin; drug/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes; nanoparticles; nanostructures; supramolecular chemistry; anticancer therapy; antibacterial therapy; neurodegenerative disease; autoimmune pathologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are a rich source of several classes of valuable phytochemical compounds with proven biological activity. In recent years, great attention has been paid to natural molecules because they are safe, have extraordinary properties and very little side effects. Therefore, their combination with synthetic chemotherapeutics and antibacterials can be an effective strategy that can inhibit tumour and bacterial growth and multidrug resistance, and achieve synergistic drug action, reducing adverse effects.

However, factors such as their low stability, poor solubility, and bioavailability limit their food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications.

In this regard, innovative strategies are needed to improve the solubility of plant-derived bioactive compounds, mask unwanted flavours, increase their stability during processing, storage, or gastrointestinal digestion, and effectively transport them to target tissues where they can exert their biological activity and support human health.

The above drawbacks can often be overcome by encapsulating bioactive ingredients in suitable delivery systems, including lipid-based nanosystems, polymer-based nanoparticles, protein-based carriers, inorganic-based delivery systems, or drug–cyclodextrin inclusion complexes.

Carriers enhance the chemical and physical properties of natural molecules and allow for controlled release at the target site without altering their characteristics.

Dr. Federica De Gaetano
Prof. Dr. Cinzia Anna Ventura
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • drug delivery
  • polymeric nanoparticles
  • lipid nanosystems
  • inclusion complexes
  • polymeric cyclodextrins
  • protein carriers
  • inorganic delivery systems
  • nanostructured carriers
  • chemical–physical characterization
  • in vitro/ex vivo/in vivo evaluation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 2588 KiB  
Article
Naringenin-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: Physical–Chemical Characterization and In Vitro Antibacterial Activity
by Federica De Gaetano, Francesco Caridi, Noemi Totaro, Consuelo Celesti, Valentina Venuti, Giovanna Ginestra, Antonia Nostro, Silvana Tommasini, Cinzia Anna Ventura and Rosanna Stancanelli
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18020232 - 8 Feb 2025
Viewed by 613
Abstract
Currently, problems related to antibiotic resistance are shifting the focus of pharmaceutical research towards natural molecules with antibacterial properties. Among them, flavonoids represent promising molecules with strong antibacterial features; however, they have poor biopharmaceutical properties. In this study, we developed solid lipid nanoparticles [...] Read more.
Currently, problems related to antibiotic resistance are shifting the focus of pharmaceutical research towards natural molecules with antibacterial properties. Among them, flavonoids represent promising molecules with strong antibacterial features; however, they have poor biopharmaceutical properties. In this study, we developed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with the flavanone naringenin (NRG) to offer an option for treating bacterial infections. NRG-SLNs systems were prepared by a solvent emulsification/diffusion and ultrasonication method, using Compritol® 888 ATO (COM) as the lipid. The optimal formulation was obtained using a 10% (w/w) theoretical amount of NRG (NRG10-SLNs), exhibiting homogeneous sizes (approximately 50 nm and 0.15 polydispersity index), negative zeta potential (−30 mV), and excellent encapsulation parameters (an encapsulation efficiency percentage of 97.9% and a drug content of 4%). NRG10-SLNs presented good physical stability over 4 weeks. A cumulative drug release of 55% in 24 h and the prolonged release of the remaining amount over 10 days was observed. In addition, µ-Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction measurements were carried out to characterize the drug–lipid interactions. Finally, the in vitro antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of NRG10-SLNs were assayed and compared to free NRG. NRG10-SLNs were bacteriostatic against Staphylococcus aureus, including the methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli strains. An improvement in the antibacterial activity of NRG-loaded SLNs compared to the free molecule was observed against S. aureus strains, probably due to the interaction of the surfactant-coated SLNs with the bacterial surface. A similar trend was observed for the biofilm inhibition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Strategies for Delivery of Plant-Based Active Ingredients)
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