Development of pH-responsive biopolymer-silica composites loaded with Larrea divaricata Cav. extract with antioxidant activity

OLIVETTI, CHRISTIAN EZEQUIEL; ANESINI, CLAUDIA; DESIMONE, MARTIN FEDERICO; ALVAREZ ECHAZÚ, MARÍA INÉS; ALONSO, MARIA ROSARIO; ALVAREZ, GISELA SOLANGE; PERALTA, IGNACIO; PEREZ, CLAUDIO JAVIER

COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2018 vol. 169 p. 82 - 91

0927-7765

A detailed study of biomaterials is mandatory to comprehend their feasible biomedical applications in termsof drug delivery and tissue regeneration. Particularly, mucoadhesive biopolymers such as chitosan (chi)and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) have become interesting biomaterials regards to their biocompatibilityand non-toxicity for oral mucosal drug delivery. In this work, pH-responsive biopolymer-silica composites(Chi-SiO2, Chi-CMC-SiO2) were developed. These two types of composites presented a different swelling behaviordue to the environmental pH. Moreover, the nanocomposites were loaded with aqueous Larrea divaricataCav. extract (Ld), a South American plant which presents antioxidant properties suitable for the treatmentof gingivoperiodontal diseases. Chi-CMC-SiO2 composites showed the highest incorporation and reached the100% of extract release in almost 4 days while they preserved their antioxidant properties. In this study, thermaland swelling behavior were pointed out to show the distinct water-composite interaction and thereforeto evaluate their mucoadhesivity. Furthermore, a cytotoxicity test with 3T3 fibroblasts was assessed, showingthat in both composites the addition of Larrea divaricata Cav. extract increased fibroblast proliferation.Lastly, preliminary in vitro studies were performed with simulated body fluids. Indeed, SEM-EDS analysisindicated that only chi-SiO2 composite may provide an environment for possible biomineralization while theaddition of CMC to the composites discouraged calcium accumulation. In conclusion, the development ofbioactive composites could promote the regeneration of periodontal tissue damaged throughout periodontaldisease and the presence of silica nanoparticles could provide an environment