Table 3.
List of the investigated usnic acid-loaded polymeric nano- and microcarriers.
| Potential Therapy | Composition | Particle Size | EE (%) | Stability | Purpose | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymeric Nanoparticles | ||||||
| Nanocapsules | ||||||
| Sarcoma | PLGA, soybean oil, PC, poloxamer F68 | 324 ± 88 nm | 99.4 ± 0.2 | 36 months | Enhancement of antitumor activity and reduction of hepatotoxicity | [31,32] |
| Nanospheres | ||||||
| Lung cancer | Heparin–ADH–GG copolymer, Pluronic F 68 | 83.38 ± 1.18nm | 99.98 ± 0.50 | n.a. | Site-specific delivery in the cancer cells | [33] |
| Polymeric Nanofibers | ||||||
| Diabetic wound healing treatment | Eudragit L100 or PVP | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | Improvement of antimicrobial activity against S. aureus | [34] |
| Polymeric Microparticles | ||||||
| Sarcoma | PLGA, PEG, PVA, Poloxamer F68 | 7.02 ± 2.74 μm | ∼100 | 7 months | Enhancement of antitumor activity and reduction of hepatotoxicity | [35] |
| Inflammation | PCL, PEG, PVA | 13.54 μm | 97.72 | n.a. | Enhancement of anti-inflammatory activity and reduction of acute toxicity | [36] |
| Infected chronic wounds | CPLLA | 2.4 ± 0.8 μm | 80 | n.a. | Improvement of antibiofilm activity against S. epidermidis | [37] |
| Wounds and burns, implanted device-related infections * | PLA, PVA, Ti | 5 µm | n.a. | n.a. | Improvement of antibiofilm activity against S. aureus | [38] |
| Wounds and burns, implanted device-related infections ** | PLGA, PVA, Fe3O4, myristic acid, Ti | 5–20 µm | n.a. | n.a. | Improvement of antibiofilm activity against S. aureus | [39] |
EE: entrapment efficiency; PLGA: Poly (d,l-lactic-acid-co-glycolic acid) polymer; PC: soybean phosphatidylcholine; ADH: adipic acid dihydrazide; GG: gellan gum; n.a.: not applicable; PVP: polyvinylpyrrolidone; PEG: poly ethylene glycol; PVA: polyvinyl alcohol; PCL: poly-𝜀-caprolactone; CPLLA: carboxylated poly(l-lactide); Ti: Titanium;* thin film based on PLA-PVA microspheres deposited to Ti substrates.** thin film based on PLGA-PVA microspheres containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with myristic acid deposited to Ti substrates.