Sintesi e caratterizzazione di nanospugne a base di nigerosio per il direzionamento dei farmaci

From the earliest times, people have found ways to introduce drugs into the body. Nanosponges have emerged as one of the most promising approach for controlled drug delivery because their 3D structure enables capture, transportation and selective release of a vast variety of lipophilic and hydrophilic substances, including many drugs. Cyclodextrin-based nanosponges have been widely studied as suitable drug carriers; structures similar to cyclodextrins, such as nigerose, may be then tested for the same intent. The purpose of the present study was thus to develop nigerose-based nanosponges and to characterize them with the aim of evaluating them as drug carriers for suitable molecules. Summarily, the aims of this project can be described as follows: synthesis of nigerose-based nanosponges, structural analysis, morphology characterization, examination of their swelling capacity, release kinetics evaluation of oxygen loaded to nanosponges and application as drug carriers. The present study showed that nigerose-based nanosponges have particular properties in terms of swelling capacity and encapsulation ability: they are able to include oxygen and drugs with different loading capacities and release them in a controlled and predictable manner.