MOF-Based Erodible System for On-Demand Release of Bioactive Flavonoid at the Polymer-Tissue Interface.

Plant-derived compounds incite applications virtually on every biomedical field due to the expedient antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties in conjunction with a natural character. Here, quercetin (QCT), a flavonoid with therapeutic potentials relevant to the oral environment, was encapsulated within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to address the concept of on-demand release of phytochemicals at the biointerface. We verified the applicability of a microporous MOF (ZIF-8) as a controlled-release system for QCT, as well as investigated the incorporation of QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles into a dental adhesive resin for desirable therapeutic capabilities at the tooth-restoration interface. QCT was encapsulated within the frameworks through a water-based, one-step synthetic process. The resulting QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles were characterized with respect to chemical composition, crystal structure, thermal behavior, micromorphology, and release profile under acidic and physiological conditions. A model dental adhesive formulation was enriched with the bioactive microparticles; both the degree of conversion (DC) of methacrylic double bonds and the polymer thermal behavior were accounted for. The results confirm that crystalline QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles with attractive loading capacities, submicron sizes, high thermal stability and responsiveness to environmental pH change were successfully manufactured. The concentration of QCT@ZIF-8 in the resin system was a key factor to maintain an optimal DC plateau and rate of polymerization. Essentially, one-step encapsulation of QCT in biocompatible ZIF-8 matrices can be easily achieved, and QCT@ZIF-8 microparticles proved as smart platforms to carry bioactive compounds with potential use to prevent microbial and enzymatic degradation of hard tissues and extracellular matrix components.

Thermoanalytical study of sweetener myo-inositol: α and ß polymorphs.

This work investigates the thermal behavior of α and ß myo-inositol polymorphs. The inositol is a natural compound widely used in the food industry due to its presence in carbohydrate metabolism and its sweet taste. The occurrence of polymorphism could change some physico-chemical properties, such as melting and sublimation temperatures, and solubility. Therefore, the thermal study of polymorphism is important to ensure better conditions for synthesis, storage, and transportation of food that contains the myo-inositol. Simultaneous Termogravimetry-Differential Thermal Analysis, Photovisual Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Polarized Light Thermomicroscopy, and Powder X-ray Diffraction were used in investigation. The data show a new thermal event associated to ß myo-inositol melting at 221.43°C, suggesting that the solid-solid transition at 185.68°C was incomplete. The kinetics data made it possible to determine the transition lifetime of myo-inositol to occur 5% of solid-solid transition at 20°C and 37°C: 126 and 8years, respectively.