Owing to a growing awareness toward environmental impact, the use of safer and eco-friendly solvents like deep eutectic solvents (DESs), has recently undergone important growth in the pharmaceutical field, with regard to their application as non-aqueous liquid administration vehicles, since they do not carry the same risks of toxicity and handling as traditional organic solvents. Major attention has been given to the development of advantageous transdermal drug delivery systems, because of their ease of use and better acceptability. Here, we report the use of two different DESs, based on choline chloride, used as hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and ascorbic acid or propylene glycol, used as hydrogen bond donors (HBDs), able to enhance the solubility and the topical delivery of dapsone, representing a class IV drug. The interactions between the DESs’ components and the drug were studied by performing DSC, FT-IR, and NMR analysis of the eutectic systems and the pure drug, confirming the establishment of H-bonds between the drug and the DESs’ components. Diffusion and permeability studies, carried out in a Franz cell, showed an increase in permeability, highlighting the great potential of DESs as dissolution and permeation enhancers in the development of novel and more effective drug delivery systems in topical administration.

Wounds caused by trauma and/or surgery represent a significant challenge in contemporary medical practice, requiring innovative approaches to promote optimal healing and reduce the risk of bleeding and complications resulting from it. In this context, chitosan, a natural polysaccharide derived from chitin, represents an ideal material for the study and application of medical devices, in the form of dressings, in wound management for pre- and/or post-operative wounds due to its ability to induce hemostasis and its high biocompatibility with biological tissues. The aim of this work was to discuss the structural characteristics, properties and application of chitosan-based hemostatic dressings in hemostatic processes resulting from pre- or post-surgical approaches.

The growing demand for drug carriers and green-technology-based tissue engineering materials has enabled the fabrication of different types of micro- and nano-assemblies. Hydrogels are a type of material that have been extensively investigated in recent decades. Their physical and chemical properties, such as hydrophilicity, resemblance to living systems, swelling ability and modifiability, make them suitable to be exploited for many pharmaceutical and bioengineering applications. This review deals with a brief account of green-manufactured hydrogels, their characteristics, preparations, importance in the field of green biomedical technology and their future perspectives. Only hydrogels based on biopolymers, and primarily on polysaccharides, are considered. Particular attention is given to the processes of extracting such biopolymers from natural sources and the various emerging problems for their processing, such as solubility. Hydrogels are catalogued according to the main biopolymer on which they are based and, for each type, the chemical reactions and the processes that enable their assembly are identified. The economic and environmental sustainability of these processes are commented on. The possibility of large-scale processing in the production of the investigated hydrogels are framed in the context of an economy aimed at waste reduction and resource recycling.

Linolenic acid (LNA) is the most highly consumed polyunsaturated fatty acid found in the human diet. It possesses anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to reverse skin-related disorders related to its deficiency. The purpose of this work was to encapsulate LNA in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) based on curcumin, resveratrol and capsaicin for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. These compounds were first esterified with oleic acid to obtain two moonoleate and one oleate ester, then they were used for SLN matrix realization through the emulsification method. The intermediates of the esterification reaction were characterized by FT-IR and ¹N-MR analysis. SLNs were characterized by dimensional analysis and encapsulation efficiency. Skin permeation studies, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated. LNA was released over 24 h from nanoparticles, and resveratrol monooleate-filled SLNs exhibited a good antioxidant activity. The curcumin-based SLNs loaded or not with LNA did not induce significant cytotoxicity in NCTC 2544 and THP-1 cells. Moreover, these SLNs loaded with LNA inhibited the production of IL-6 in NCTC 2544 cells. Overall, our data demonstrate that the synthesized SLNs could represent an efficacious way to deliver LNA to skin cells and to preserve the anti-inflammatory properties of LNA for the topical adjuvant treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Cardiac regeneration aims to reconstruct the heart contractile mass, preventing the organ from a progressive functional deterioration, by delivering pro-regenerative cells, drugs, or growth factors to the site of injury. In recent years, scientific research focused the attention on tissue engineering for the regeneration of cardiac infarct tissue, and biomaterials able to anatomically and physiologically adapt to the heart muscle have been proposed as valuable tools for this purpose, providing the cells with the stimuli necessary to initiate a complete regenerative process. An ideal biomaterial for cardiac tissue regeneration should have a positive influence on the biomechanical, biochemical, and biological properties of tissues and cells; perfectly reflect the morphology and functionality of the native myocardium; and be mechanically stable, with a suitable thickness. Among others, engineered hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric systems made from synthetic and natural biomaterials, have attracted much interest for cardiac post-infarction therapy. In addition, biocompatible nanosystems, and polymeric nanoparticles in particular, have been explored in preclinical studies as drug delivery and tissue engineering platforms for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This review focused on the most employed natural and synthetic biomaterials in cardiac regeneration, paying particular attention to the contribution of Italian research groups in this field, the fabrication techniques, and the current status of the clinical trials.

Coated stents are defined as innovative stents surrounded by a thin polymer membrane based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)useful in the treatment of numerous vascular pathologies. Endovascular methodology involves the use of such devices to restore blood flow in small-, medium- and large-calibre arteries, both centrally and peripherally. These membranes cross the stent struts and act as a physical barrier to block the growth of intimal tissue in the lumen, preventing so-called intimal hyperplasia and late stent thrombosis. PTFE for vascular applications is known as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) and it can be rolled up to form a thin multilayer membrane expandable by 4 to 5 times its original diameter. This membrane plays an important role in initiating the restenotic process because wrapped graft stent could be used as the treatment option for trauma devices during emergency situations and to treat a number of pathological vascular disease. In this review, we will investigate the multidisciplinary techniques used for the production of e-PTFE membranes, the advantages and disadvantages of their use, the innovations and the results in biomedical and surgery field when used to cover graft stents.