Bioactive Compounds, Smart Polymers and Functionalised Materials for Drug Delivery

Dear Colleagues,

Multifunctional drug carriers represent attractive approach to improve drug bioavailability e.g. by modulating the release profile or by site-specific delivery of active agents. Basically, drug delivery systems are composed of excipients that serve as the vehicle for active agent. Much attention has been recently paid to bioactive compounds or materials from natural or synthetic origin which exhibit adjunctive biological activity (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunomodulating) and may therefore act as an active part of the therapy. At the same time the structural functionalization of these compounds have been extensively studied to improve the physicochemical properties of the drug carrier or to facilitate the pharmacological activity of embedded active agents. This special issue aims to highlight the current advances and the latest developments in the application of bioactive ingredients including plants compounds, polysaccharides, proteins and lipids in technology of drug delivery systems. Full research articles and reviews covering design concept, optimization process and characterization of multifunctional drug carriers intended for topical, oral or parenteral applications with the use of bioactive compounds, smart polymers and functionalized materials are welcome.

Dr. Emilia Szymańska
Guest Editor

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• drug delivery system
• bioactive compound
• drug carrier
• pharmacological activity
• polymer