CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Nanotechnology has been growing fast as a new area for oral delivery of molecules with biological interest. Common drugs from the market usually show numerous side effects in the organism and a relative poor biodisponibility. In this sense, smart nanodevices encapsulating drugs provide an alternative to avoid the barriers that affect stability of the oral delivery formulations such as the extreme acidic pH of stomach and the presence of gastrointestinal proteases. These systems are combining the benefits of the controlled release formulations with the advantages of nanotechnology, such as high surface area to volume ratio, capability to access to the deepest interstices of many organs, e.g. intestine, or to penetrate cell membrane. In the present chapter, the development and application of smart nano-preparations with growing attention in the pharmaceutical industry are discussed. Among them carriers like liposomes are described, seeing how they evolved to solid lipid nanoparticles and, these ones to nanostructures solid lipid carries. Nanocrystals of pure drugs and of enzymes, another interesting nano-product, have emerged as feasible alternative to overcome the drug oral administration drawbacks. More important, the use of biopolymers and compatible synthetic polymers become a new tool for the development of nanosystems. Finally, some inorganic matrices which have been tested in living organisms are considered. Silica compounds, zeolites and nanoclays and their role in control release are discussed. Also, silver nanoparticles and their relevant importance in treatment of multiresistent pathogens are mentioned. However, toxicity of these inorganic systems is now under discussion. Along the manuscript, the most important nanocarriers until now are studied, and the tools for approaching to new nanocarriers with potentials applications in oral delivery are provided.