Natural composites and nanocomposites for drug delivery

Synthesis of new drugs, their rational design, or isolation from natural sources has decreased, and these facts lead to the use of currently marketed drugs. Some of them, extensively used, show unfavorable properties related to solubility, toxicity, and tissue permeation, which can be overcome, in part, by the design of new pharmaceutical devices. Composite materials (CPs) formed by two or more different components have been proposed for developing pharmaceutical formulations for specific drug delivery (DD). These materials show tunable properties, such as modified release (in a burst, retarded, or both mechanisms), bioadhesivity, and smart-behavior stimuli responsiveness. Thus this chapter addresses the development of new formulations based on CPs for DD in oral, ocular, topical, and bone applications. Fil: Benedini, Luciano Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química. Instituto de Química del Sur; Argentina Fil: González Vidal, Noelia Luján. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Química del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Química. Instituto de Química del Sur; Argentina