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Inflammatory diseases, i.e., asthma, hepatitis, gingivitis, arthritis, etc., are very common worldwide and play a key role in chronic wound healing, which makes necessary to shorten its prolonged inflammatory response. In this work, we developed an injectable hybrid supramolecular hydrogel with anti-inflammatory properties. The formation of the hydrogel was triggered by electrostatic interactions between a phosphorylated tripeptide, Fmoc-FFpY (F: phenyl alanine, pY: phosphorylated tyrosine) and cationic polymer nanoparticles made of vinylimidazole and ketoprofen (poly(HKT-co-VI) NPs). Hydrogel formation was assessed through inverted tube tests and its fibrillary structure, around polymer NPs, observed by transmission electron microscopy. Interestingly, peptide self-assembly yields the formation of non-twisted and twisted fibers, which could be attributed to β-sheets and α-helix structures respectively, as characterized by circular dichroism and infrared spectroscopies. An increase of the elastic modulus of the Fmoc-FFpY/polymer NPs hybrid hydrogels was observed with the peptide concentration as well as its injectability property, due to its shear thinning behaviour and self-healing ability. After checking their stability in physiological conditions, cytotoxicity properties of these hybrid hydrogels were evaluated in contact with human dermal fibroblasts (FBH) and murine macrophages (RAW 264.7). Finally, the Fmoc-FFpY/polymer NPs hybrid hydrogels exhibited a great nitric oxide reduction (~ 67%) up to basal values of proinflammatory RAW 264.7 cells, thus confirming their excellent anti-inflammatory properties for the treatment of localized inflammatory pathologies.

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Due to the preservative, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties of oregano essential oil (OEO), it has received an emerging interest for biotechnological and biomedical applications. However, stability and bioactivity can be compromised by its natural volatile and hydrophobic nature, and by external factors including light, heat, or oxygen. Therefore, micro- and nanoencapsulation are being employed to guarantee oregano oil protection from outside aggressions and to maximize its potential. Oregano oil encapsulation is an interesting strategy used to increase its stability, enhance its bioactivity, and decrease its volatility. At the same time, the versatility that micro- and nanocarriers offer, allows to prepare tailored systems that can provide a controlled and targeted release of the encapsulated principle, influence its bioactive activities, or even provide additional properties. Most common materials used to prepare these carriers are based on lipids and cyclodextrins, due to their hydrophobic nature, polymers due to their versatility in composition, and hybrid lipid-polymer systems. In this context, recently developed micro- and nanocarriers encapsulating oregano oil with applications in the biotechnological and biomedical fields will be discussed.

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