Obtaining of ultra-thin poly (e-caprolactone) and pectin composite fibers reinforced with zeolite for controlled drug release

• Grant number: 19/23412-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2020
• End date: September 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Elaine Cristina Paris
• Grantee: Bruna Santostaso Marinho
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bovine mastitis and hoof disorders are diseases responsible for large losses in the agricultural sector, directly affecting the economy. Such losses are associated with milk and meat production reduction leading to extreme cases of infected animals' premature loss. The market needs technologies to increase the availability and effectiveness of drugs. The development of controlled release systems are candidates to solve this problem due to allowing the prolonged availability of the drug, with a smaller amount of drug application, avoiding excess losses and animal's intoxication. A possible application to this system is topical via membranes, so that administration becomes less invasive and with greater control of drug dosage. A matrix constitution by dressing biopolymer fibers can be used, increasing the affinity with the skin surface and minimizing the appearance of side effects. Thus, in the present research project, the proposal is to develop a controlled release system from the immobilization of faujasite zeolite nanostructures (FAU) in ultrafine fibers of polymeric blends of polycaprolactone (PCL) and pectin (PEC) to act as drug nanocarriers. Thus, it is expected that this system will increase the control of the availability of drugs at the disease site and become an effective alternative in the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics, increasing the application efficiency.