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Nanotechnology has emerged as a pivotal tool in pharmaceutical research, driving the development of innovative techniques to enhance drug distribution within the body by finely tuning the biopharmaceutical properties of various drugs. Among these techniques, encapsulating biologically active substances in polymeric nanoparticles has garnered significant attention. However, achieving high encapsulation efficiency for hydrophilic molecules remains a formidable challenge, despite their growing importance in treating diverse diseases such as cancer, where nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, and smaller hydrophilic molecules are key players. While some studies have reported improvements in encapsulating hydrophilic drugs, notable examples, like the solid/oil/water ion‐pairing method and the use of calcium phosphate, have shown promise in enhancing encapsulation efficiency for different drugs. Nonetheless, the challenge of preparing aqueous core nanoparticles capable of encapsulating a high percentage of water‐soluble actives persists. Creatine monohydrate, a bioactive compound widely consumed by athletes for its role in increasing muscular phosphocreatine stores, presents an intriguing case. Despite its insolubility in organic media, creatine exhibits limited aqueous solubility, rendering it a suitable candidate for encapsulation in polymeric nanoparticles to improve its aqueous solubility and gastrointestinal absorption. In this study, we aim to produce polymeric nanoparticles containing creatine monohydrate utilizing the double emulsification (W/O/W) method. This promising and efficient approach holds the potential to significantly enhance the aqueous solubility and gastrointestinal absorption of creatine, thereby broadening its clinical application spectrum. Leveraging nanotechnology in this context offers an innovative and potentially impactful strategy to augment the therapeutic efficacy of creatine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, mango parts (kernel and integument) were loaded into a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix by a casting process to develop biocomposite materials. These materials should present improved mechanical and thermal properties and have the potential to be used as environmentally friendly, biodegradable food packaging material with extended shelf life. For this purpose, the research was divided into two parts: step 1, ground materials of a certain particle size from a previous work1 and step 2, which are the materials from Step 1 ground again. The samples were characterized by x‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser granulometry, texture tests, and thermal analysis. The difference between them was particle size distribution, impacting the materials' mechanical strength and degradation rate. Three biocomposites were made (PLA/kernel, PLA/integument, and PLA/kernel/integument) in both steps. SEM was used to observe the size distribution of the mango seed and sample morphology. In addition, resistance values increased with the addition of kernel or integument particles. Biocomposite biodegradability was also evaluated. Based on the results of this study, the biocomposites showed high mechanical properties and thermal stability, making them suitable for applications such as food packaging and structural components to help reduce environmental loads and microplastic generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were incorporated into the poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) matrix using casting method to obtain packing films for food transportation with outstanding properties and no formation of microplastics. Consequently, these films were evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, time domain and carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance, x‐ray diffraction, contact angle measurement, and thermogravimetric analysis. The light barrier properties of the films were analyzed using transmittance mode in UV–VIS–NIR regions and the contact angle of composite films exhibited greater hydrophilicity compared to the pure polymer films. Regardless of the concentration, the fillers did not significantly modify the degradation onset temperature and the temperature of maximum degradation rate. However, ZnO caused a new thermal degradation event (around 330°C) that was not observed in the other films, possibly due to the second crystallization process. Composite films filled with 0.3% ZnO, 0.3% and 0.5% MoO3 showed greater molecular homogeneity than the pure polymer matrix, with the PBAT/MoO3 films demonstrating even greater homogeneity than PBAT/ZnO films; this response presumably comes from the satisfactory intermolecular interaction or adequate dispersion and distribution of the particles. The addition of 0.5% MoO3 in the matrix influenced the PBAT film, resulting in amorphous materials with the highest molecular mobility and opacity. Besides, in view of antimicrobial tests, all nanocomposites showed potential bacteriostatic activity. So, it can be conveniently used for food transportation and may avoid microplastic formation, after been discarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocomposites with inorganic nanofillers spread in a polymer matrix have been used for the development of pharmaceutical systems to treat mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease. In this study, nanostructured particles using a solution intercalation technique combined with a spray‐drying process using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), montmorillonite, titanium dioxide, and lithium carbonate, with the aim of designing a new drug delivery system. XRD and low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that PVP/MMT 1% achieved an intercalated/exfoliated morphology. However, the incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles into the PVP matrix did not affect its structure, indicating that there was not a strong interaction between the polymer and the TiO2 nanoparticles. Thermal analysis did not reveal any changes in the nanocomposites compared to the pure polymer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed a pseudo‐spherical shape, and SEM‐energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectrometry (EDS) confirmed the dispersion of MMT in the PVP matrix. The introduction of lithium carbonate into the PVP/MMT matrix created a new system with higher molecular mobility; the drug introduction increased the mean droplet size, and the zeta potential remained negative. Overall, the results indicate that the applied methodology can produce a new nanostructured particle as a drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica-based (SiO2) poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) nanocomposites were obtained via an in situ sol–gel route in three distinct particle concentrations (1, 5, and 7.5% by weight of PHB). The polymer hybrids formed were analyzed via wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry (TD-NMR). The SiO2 inorganic structure displayed surface fractal features at low concentration (1 wt%) and denser agglomerates at higher concentrations (5 and 7.5 wt%). FTIR and SAXS results confirmed the formation of the inorganic matrix amid the polymer chains with different levels of distribution and organization. WAXD and TD-NMR results suggested the SiO2 influence on the PHB crystallinity degree, which was reflected on the polymer's molecular dynamics with a nonlinear dependence of particles concentration in the PHB matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]