Józef Rzempołuch

Former visiting student (Warsaw University of Technology, Poland)

Zein particles as drug delivery systems

 

Supervisors: Zoya Hadzhieva, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini

There is a growing need for developing new drug carriers for drug delivery applications. One such carrier might be drug-loaded polymeric particles, in which the drug is encapsulated in a hydrophobic polymeric matrix that serves as a drug carrier [1]. Among many materials used as drug carriers biopolymers draw attention, thanks to their biocompatibility and biodegradability [1]. One such polymer is zein – a hydrophobic protein derived from corn. Different molecules obtained from natural resources such as green tea and coffee are being considered as phytotherapeutic agents. Some natural compounds exhibit anti-cancer properties [2]. In this study, zein particles loaded with natural drugs are being manufactured. The obtained drug delivery systems are tested for their colloidal stability, drug encapsulation efficiency and particle size.

[1] L. I. Atanase, ‘Micellar Drug Delivery Systems Based on Natural Biopolymers’, Polymers, vol. 13, no. 3, p. 477, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.3390/polym13030477.

[2] R. A. Youness, R. Kamel, N. A. Elkasabgy, P. Shao, and M. A. Farag, ‘Recent Advances in Tannic Acid (Gallotannin) Anticancer Activities and Drug Delivery Systems for Efficacy Improvement; A Comprehensive Review’, Molecules, vol. 26, no. 5, Art. no. 5, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.3390/molecules26051486.