Abstract

AN OVERVIEW OF NANOSPONGES

A. Snekha* and A. Selvi

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Abstract

Effective targeted drug delivery systems have been a dream for a long time, but it has been largely frustrated by the complex chemistry that is involved in the development of new systems. The invention of nano sponges has become a significant step toward overcoming these problems. Nano sponges are a novel class of nanomaterials characterized by their sponge-like structure, offering high surface area, porosity, and functional versatility. Nano sponges are tiny sponges with a size of about a virus, which can be filled with a wide variety of drugs. These tiny sponges can circulate around the body until they encounter the specific target site and stick on the surface and begin to release the drug in a controlled and predictable manner. Because the drug can be released at the specific target site instead of circulating throughout the body it will be more effective for a particular given dosage. Another important character of these sponges is their aqueous solubility; this allows the use of these systems effectively for drugs with poor solubility. Nano sponges, a recently created colloidal system, have the potential to overcome issues with medication toxicity, decreased bioavailability, and drug release over a wide area because they can be modified to work with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic types of drugs. Recent advancements in nano sponges have focused on optimizing their design for targeted therapy, minimizing side effects, and overcoming biological barriers. This review focused on definitions, types, advantages, disadvantages, polymers used, suitable characteristics of polymers, including the outline of preparation of nano sponges and the evaluation.

Keywords: Targeted drug delivery system, Nano sponges, hydrophilic, hydrophobic drug, solubility, bioavailability.