Table 3.

Examples of recent CNF-based cargo delivery: carriers, applications, and loading and release mechanisms

Drug/bioimaging agent	Carrier	Potential application	Loading mechanism	Release mechanism	Year [Reference]
Methotrexate	Resistant starch/pectin/CNF electrospun nanofibers	Colon inflammation	Absorption and electrostatic attraction	pH dependent, enzymatic degradation	2016 [180]
Beclomethasone dipropionate, indomethacin, itraconazol	CNF microparticles and capsules	Drug delivery of poorlysoluble drugs (broad range of applications)	Mixing/filtration/drying	Diffusion	2017 [181]
Cisplatin	CNF-PVA hydrogel	Cancer treatment	Mixing	pH dependent release (maximum release at 7.4)	2017 [182]
Metformin	CNF gel	Anti-cancer (melanoma) drug delivery and metastasis prevention	Electrostatic adsorption	pH dependent	2017 [183]
N/A	Ca2+-mediated crosslinked CNF hydrogel, kaolinCNF, and collagen-CNF	Hemostatic wound dressing	N/A	N/A	2017 [184]
Etoposide, methotrexate	Fe3O4-Ag2O quantum dots decorated cellulose nanofibers	Chemotherapy for lung, breast, and skin cancer	Binding to Ag2O	Drug solubility in water	2017 [185]
Bendamustine hydrochloride	CNF aerogel	Gastroretentive oral drug delivery	Absorption, electrostatic attraction	pH dependent	2017 [186]
Dextran	Microcapsules of CNF, hemicellulose, and pectin	Model drug delivery	Physical encapsulation	Ion-mediated release	2017, 2018 [187,188]
5-fluorouracil	α-chitin/TEMPO-oxidized CNF hydrogel	Anti-cancer oral drug delivery	Electrostatic adsorption through swelling	pH and swelling dependent	2018 [189]
L. plantarum	Cellulose fiber and nanofibril hydrogel macroparticle	Probiotic delivery	Physical encapsulatio n	pH responsive pore size	2018 [190]
Doxorubicin	Injectable CNF gel	Cancer (Melanoma) treatment and metastasis prevention	Electrostatic attraction	pH dependent	2018 [191]
Tetracycline hydrochloride	CNF/ polydopamine hydrogel	Wound healing	Electrostatic attraction	pH dependent, high release at low pH	2018 [192]