Preliminary Communication

Silica microcapsules from diatoms as new carrier for delivery of therapeutics

Moom Sinn Aw

University of South Australia, Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, 5095 SA, Australia

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Spomenka Simovic

University of South Australia, Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, 5095 SA, Australia

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Jonas Addai-Mensah

University of South Australia, Ian Wark Research Institute, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, 5095 SA, Australia

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Dusan Losic

† Author for correspondence

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Email the corresponding author at dusan.losic@unisa.edu.au

Published Online:20 Sep 2011https://doi.org/10.2217/nnm.11.29

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Abstract

Aim: This study explores the use of natural silica-based porous material from diatoms, known as diatomaceous earth, as a drug carrier of therapeutics for implant- and oral-delivery applications. Materials & Methods: To prove this concept, two drugs models were used and investigated: a hydrophobic (indomethacin) and hydrophilic (gentamicin). Results & Discussion: Results show the effectiveness of diatom microcapsules for drug-delivery application, showing 14–22 wt% drug loading capacity and sustained drug release over 2 weeks. Two steps in the drug release from diatom structures were observed: the first, rapid release (over 6 h is attributed to the surface deposited drug) and the second, slow and sustained release over 2 weeks with zero order kinetics. Conclusion: These results confirm that natural material based on diatom silica can be successfully applied as a drug carrier for both oral and implant drug-delivery applications, offering considerable potential to replace existing synthetic nanomaterials.

Keywords:

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Published online 20 September 2011

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Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council (LP 0989229), the University of South Australia and Mount Sylvia Diatomite Pty Ltd. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

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