This review focuses on the process of preparation of nanofibers via Es, the design and setup of the instrument, critical parameter optimization, preferable polymers, solvents, characterization techniques, and recent development and biomedical applications of nanofibers.

Microneedle (MNs) technology is a recent advancement in biomedical science across the globe. The current limitations of drug delivery, like poor absorption, low bioavailability, inadequate skin permeation, and poor biodistribution, can be overcome by MN-based drug delivery. Nanotechnology made significant changes in fabrication techniques for microneedles (MNs) and design shifted from conventional to novel, using various types of natural and synthetic materials and their combinations. Nowadays, MNs technology has gained popularity worldwide in biomedical research and drug delivery technology due to its multifaceted and broad-spectrum applications. This review broadly discusses MN’s types, fabrication methods, composition, characterization, applications, recent advancements, and global intellectual scenarios.

In recent decades there has been growing interest of material chemists in the successful development of functional materials for drug delivery, tissue engineering, imaging, diagnosis, theranostic, and other biomedical applications with advanced nanotechnology tools. The efficacy and safety of functional materials are determined by their pharmacological, toxicological, and immunogenic effects. It is essential to consider all degradation pathways of functional materials and to assess plausible intermediates and final products for quality control. This review provides a brief insight into chemical degradation mechanisms of functional materials like oxidation, photodegradation, and physical and enzymatic degradation. The intermediates and products of degradation were confirmed with analytical methods such as proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis), infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mass spectroscopy, and other sophisticated analytical methods. These analytical methods are also used for regulatory, quality control, and stability purposes in industry. The assessment of degradation is important to predetermine the behavior of functional materials in specific storage conditions and can be relevant to their behavior during in vivo applications. Another important aspect is the evaluation of the toxicity of functional materials. Toxicity can be accessed with various methods using in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and in silico models. In vitro cell culture methods are used to determine mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species, stress responses, and cellular toxicity. In vitro cellular toxicity can be measured by MTT assay, LDH leakage assay, and hemolysis. In vivo studies are performed using various animal models involving zebrafish, rodents (mice and rats), and nonhuman primates. Ex vivo studies are also used for efficacy and toxicity determinations of functional materials like ex vivo potency assay and precision-cut liver slice (PCLS) models. The in silico tools with computational simulations like quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSAR), pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), dose and time response, and quantitative cationic–activity relationships ((Q)­CARs) are used for prediction of the toxicity of functional materials. In this review, we studied the principle methods used for degradation studies, different degradation pathways, and mechanisms of functional material degradation with prototype examples. We discuss toxicity assessments with different toxicity approaches used for estimation of the safety and efficacy of functional materials.

Eudragit, synthesized by radical polymerization, is used for enteric coating, precise temporal release, and targeting the entire gastrointestinal system. Evonik Healthcare Germany offers different grades of Eudragit. The ratio of methacrylic acid to its methacrylate-based monomers used in the polymerization reaction defines the final product’s characteristics and consequently its potential range of applications. Since 1953, these polymers have been made to use in a wide range of healthcare applications around the world. In this review, we reviewed the “known of knowns and known of unknowns” about Eudragit, from molecule to material design, its characterization, and its applications in healthcare.

Nanocarriers are gaining significant importance in the modern era of drug delivery. Nanofiber technology is one of the prime paradigms in nanotechnology for various biomedical and theranostic applications. Nanofibers obtained after successful electrospinning subjected to surface functionalized for drug delivery, biomedical, tissue engineering, biosensing, cell imaging and wound dressing application. Surface functionalization entirely changes physicochemical and biological properties of nanofibers. In physicochemical properties, wettability, melting point, glass transition temperature, and initial decomposition temperature significantly change offer several advantageous for nanofibers. Similarly, biological properties include cell adhesion, biocompatibility, and proliferation, also changes by functionalization of nanofibers. Various natural and synthetic materials polymers, metals, carbon materials, functional groups, proteins, and peptides, are currently used for surface modification of nanofibers. Various research studies across the globe demonstrated the usefulness of surface functionalized nanofibers in tissue engineering, wound healing, skin cancers, melanoma, and disease diagnosis. The delivery of drug through surface functionalized nanofibers results in improved permeation and bioavailability of drug which is important for better targeting of disease and therapeutic efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive insight about various techniques of surface functionalization of nanofibers along with its biomedical applications, toxicity assessment and global patent scenario.

Antimicrobial resistance is the leading cause of burden on healthcare sector. There is scientific challenge of developing new functional material as a platform to prevent and treat viral and microbial infection and cosmetic utility. In material chemistry, there is progress in the development of functional material with advent of nanotechnology with aid of synthetic organic chemistry. The properties and application of material can be changed significantly by modification of the surface functional groups (namely, COOH, HO, NH2OH, SO4,), formation of composite with inorganic material and incorporation of active pharmaceutical agents. In antibacterial application functional material of copper, silver, gold, platinum, tin, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, zinc and pharmaceutical antimicrobial agents found utility in the treatment of bacterial and hospital acquired infection with different resistant strains of microorganisms. In antiviral application many functional materials have been shown to possess remarkable antiviral ability like quantum dots, gold and silver nanoparticles, nanoclusters, carbon dots, graphene oxide and silicon materials. The polymers and dendrimers functionalized with USFDA approved antiviral agent also has potential therapeutic outcomes. Despite their difference in antiviral mechanism and inhibition efficacy, these functional material structures have unique features as potential antiviral candidates. In cosmetic applications functional material based on mica, sericite, fullerene, charcoal, peptides, mineral, lipids, glucocorticoid, nanocellulose hybrid material are extensively used. In this review, we have highlighted early promise and prospects of functional material for cosmetics, antibacterial and antiviral applications, advantages and disadvantages, Patent scenario, current challenges for translation into commercial products.

No abstract

Nose to brain delivery is an alternative and efficient way of delivery of drugs, protein, peptides, DNA, RNA, and plasmids for improved therapeutics in the treatment of neurological disorders. Nanotechnology enables the use of nanocarriers, such as polymer, lipid, and metal-based for delivery of an active agent to targeted site selectively and minimise other systemic side effects. Viral vectors like herpes simplex, adenovirus, and lentivirus are also used for the delivery of genes to the brain with improved transfection efficiency and transduction process. Metal-based nanomaterials such as gold and super magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, used for theranostic application for brain-related nose to brain delivery, has proven several advantages and are discussed together with their limitations, in this review in detail.