Usanee Pantulap

Visiting researcher (Department of Science Service, Thailand)

Biocompatibility of Herbal Compound-Loaded Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

 

Supervisor: Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) are promising carriers for drug delivery due to their high specific surface area, well-ordered mesoporous channels, and favorable biological properties such as bioactivity and biocompatibility [1]. In parallel, many phytochemical compounds have been used as a medicinal herb in several Asian countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China, for the treatment of snake and insect bites, burns, and microbial infections [2]. Additionally, such natural compounds exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immunomodulatory effects [3]. In this project, MBGNs with a binary composition of 70SiO₂–30CaO (mol%) are synthesized and subsequently loaded with herbal derived extracts. The biocompatibility of the loaded MBGNs is evaluated to explore their potential as a multifunctional drug delivery system. The combination of MBGNs and natural bioactive extracts is anticipated to support the development of bioactive nanomaterials for phytotherapeutic strategies in tissue engineering applications. This project is part of our on-going collaboration with the National Institute of Reference Laboratory, Department of Science Service, Bangkok, Thailand.

[1]    U. Pantulap, I. Unalan, K. Zheng, and A. R. Boccaccini, “Hydroxycarbonate apatite formation, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial properties of rubidium-doped mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles,” J. Porous Mater., pp. 685–696, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10934-023-01546-9.

[2]    L. W. Khoo et al., “A Comprehensive Review on Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm.f.) Lindau,” Evidence-Based Complement. Altern. Med., vol. 2018, no. 1, Jan. 2018, doi: 10.1155/2018/9276260.

[3]    C.-M. Lin, H.-H. Chen, C.-W. Lung, and H.-J. Chen, “Antiviral and Immunomodulatory Activities of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau,” Int. J. Mol. Sci., vol. 24, no. 13, p. 10789, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.3390/ijms241310789.