Abstract

The use of nanoparticles in biomedical fields is a very promising scientific area and has aroused the interest of researchers in the search for new biodegradable, biocompatible and non-toxic materials. This chapter is based on the features of the biopolymer silk fibroin and its applications in nanomedicine. Silk fibroin, obtained from the Bombyx mori silkworm, is a natural polymeric biomaterial whose main features are its amphiphilic chemistry, biocompatibility, biodegradability, excellent mechanical properties in various material formats, and processing flexibility. All of these properties make silk fibroin a useful candidate to act as nanocarrier. In this chapter, the structure of silk fibroin, its biocompatibility and degradability are reviewed. In addition, an intensive review on the silk fibroin nanoparticle synthesis methods is also presented. Finally, the application of the silk fibroin nanoparticles for drug delivery acting as nanocarriers is detailed.

Highlights

  • Silk is an ancestral material used since 2450 BC [1] for making fabrics

  • The results indicated that lower levels of fibrinogen were bound to the fibroin membrane than to the two synthetic polymers, while the same amounts of C3 human plasma complement fragment and adsorbed IgG were detected

  • Silk fibroin of the Bombyx mori silkworm is a natural, protein polymer that presents an interesting combination of mechanical properties, such as flexibility and resistance which are still difficult to achieve with synthetic polymers

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Summary

Introduction

Silk is an ancestral material used since 2450 BC [1] for making fabrics. After having been an economic engine of several empires and coining the name to the trade route that linked Asia, Europe and Africa, silk suffered a debacle in the early 20th century when the much cheaper synthetic polymers derived from hydrocarbons were introduced. Silk fibroin probably receives a lot of attention from the general public due to its mechanical properties, so a brief text will be devoted to comparing them with other natural fibers and engineering materials. We could infer that fibroin is superior to other biomaterials, such as collagen, but not as “good” as Kevlar and carbon fibers. This interpretation is based on the assumption that “good” means stiff and strong. This is not necessary for silk in the natural spinning process This is due to its impressive amino acid sequence which gives rise to an extraordinary polymorphic secondary structure that will be discussed below

Silk structure
Silk biocompatibility
Immune and inflammatory response
In vivo degradation of silk fibroin
Synthesis of silk fibroin nanoparticles
Solubilization of silk fibroin
Regeneration of fibroin into nanoparticles
Antisolvation in organic solvents
Antisolvation in supercritical fluids
Microfluidics
Salting-out
Mechanism of nanoparticle formation in antisolvation processes
Nanoparticle drug loading
Findings
Conclusions
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