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Silk fibroin (SF) is a promising and versatile biodegradable protein for biomedical applications. This study aimed to develop a prolonged release device by incorporating SF microparticles containing dyes into SF hydrogels. The influence of dyes on incorporation and release kinetics in SF based devices were evaluated regarding their hydrophilicity, molar mass, and cationic/anionic character. Hydrophobic and cationic dyes presented high encapsulation efficiency, probably related to electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with SF. The addition of SF microparticles in SF hydrogels was an effective method to prolong the release, increasing the release time by 10-fold.

The cover image created by Mariana Agostini de Moraes and colleagues, represents the self-assembling of silk fibroin into globular structures within a continuous fibroin membrane matrix, encapsulating the drug model -diclofenac sodium. These structures were only observed when the drug was incorporated in the fibroin solution, prior to membrane preparation. The formation was spontaneous, and the globular structures presented regular size, shape and uniform distribution within the membrane. EDX mapping (red dots) of a fractured particle confirmed the high concentration of the drug within the globular structures. These results emphasize the potential use of silk fibroin for drug delivery applications.

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