Loading of drugs in Biodegradable polymers using supercritical fluid technology

Abstract

Biodegradable polymers are relevant materials for medical applications due to their similarity with biological tissues. The incorporation of drugs in biopolymers expands their functionalities and makes them very attractive in applications that involve oral, transdermal delivery and active food packaging. However, many biomolecules used as drugs are labile, and few methods allow incorporating these substances into polymers without degrading their structure. Supercritical fluid technology (SCF) is an environmentally friendly technique that allows efficient drug loading under mild conditions without leaving residues. With these characteristics in mind, this chapter has been structured with the aim to describe the main SCF techniques, biopolymer properties, and the types of drugs. Finally, a bibliographic summary is described in detail that summarizes the more relevant advances of drug loading optimization in biopolymers using SCF.