%0 Journal Article
%T Chitosan/Virgin-Coconut-Oil-Based System Enriched with Cubosomes: A 3D Drug-Delivery Approach.
%A Silva SS
%A Rodrigues LC
%A Fernandes EM
%A Soares da Costa D
%A Villalva DG
%A Loh W
%A Reis RL
%J Mar Drugs
%V 21
%N 7
%D 2023 Jul 6
%M 37504925
%F 6.085
%R 10.3390/md21070394
%X Emulsion-based systems that combine natural polymers with vegetable oils have been identified as a promising research avenue for developing structures with potential for biomedical applications. Herein, chitosan (CHT), a natural polymer, and virgin coconut oil (VCO), a resource obtained from coconut kernels, were combined to create an emulsion system. Phytantriol-based cubosomes encapsulating sodium diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, were further dispersed into CHT/VCO- based emulsion. Then, the emulsions were frozen and freeze-dried to produce scaffolds. The scaffolds had a porous structure ranging from 20.4 to 73.4 µm, a high swelling ability (up to 900%) in PBS, and adequate stiffness, notably in the presence of cubosomes. Moreover, a well-sustained release of the entrapped diclofenac in the cubosomes into the CHT/VCO-based system, with an accumulated release of 45 ± 2%, was confirmed in PBS, compared to free diclofenac dispersed (80 ± 4%) into CHT/VCO-based structures. Overall, the present approach opens up new avenues for designing porous biomaterials for drug delivery through a sustainable pathway.