MOF-Based Erodible System for On-Demand Release of Bioactive Flavonoid at the Polymer–Tissue Interface

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:22:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-08-10 Plant-derived compounds incite applications virtually on every biomedical field due to the expedient antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties in conjunction with a natural character. Here, quercetin (QCT), a flavonoid with therapeutic potentials relevant to the oral environment, was encapsulated within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to address the concept of on-demand release of phytochemicals at the biointerface. We verified the applicability of a microporous MOF (ZIF-8) as a controlled-release system for QCT, as well as investigated the incorporation of QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles into a dental adhesive resin for desirable therapeutic capabilities at the tooth-restoration interface. QCT was encapsulated within the frameworks through a water-based, one-step synthetic process. The resulting QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles were characterized with respect to chemical composition, crystal structure, thermal behavior, micromorphology, and release profile under acidic and physiological conditions. A model dental adhesive formulation was enriched with the bioactive microparticles; both the degree of conversion (DC) of methacrylic double bonds and the polymer thermal behavior were accounted for. The results confirm that crystalline QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles with attractive loading capacities, submicron sizes, high thermal stability and responsiveness to environmental pH change were successfully manufactured. The concentration of QCT@ZIF-8 in the resin system was a key factor to maintain an optimal DC plateau and rate of polymerization. Essentially, one-step encapsulation of QCT in biocompatible ZIF-8 matrices can be easily achieved, and QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles proved as smart platforms to carry bioactive compounds with potential use to prevent microbial and enzymatic degradation of hard tissues and extracellular matrix components. Department of Physics School of Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Chemistry School of Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Restorative Dentistry College of Dentistry University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Dental Research Division Guarulhos University (UNG) Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Chemistry São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Physics School of Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Chemistry School of Sciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Chemistry São Paulo State University (UNESP)