Review articleOrganogels, promising drug delivery systems: an update of state-of-the-art and recent applications
Graphical abstract
Owing their gel-sol transition, organogels issued from organogelators organized in biocompatible organic solvents present various drug release profiles. Adapted to broad applications, they are versatile controlled released systems.
Section snippets
Context
Although organogels (or oleogels) have been known for decades, their industrial applications are more recent. They are now used in various fields such as paints and cleaning materials [1], [2], dermocosmetics and personal care products [3], [4], [5], nutraceutics and food processing[6], [7].
Classification of organogels
Generally, organogels are classified according to the organogelator nature (see [86] and [3] for instance). Although highly practical from an experimental point of view, this classification divides organogelator based on organogelator molecular weight. In this review, we propose a novel organogel classification according to the type of intermolecular interactions (chemical, physical) based on organogelator properties, solvent used and preparation methods employed (Fig. 4).
Preparation of organogels
In a general way, formulation of organogels is easily achieved by dissolving an organogelator into a hot, apolar phase followed by a cooling step resulting in gelation. The following preparation methods are used to produce organogels, according to their intrinsic nature (Fig. 5).
Characterization
Recently-synthesized organogels are intensively characterized thorough various techniques and methodologies to confirm their stability and efficiency (Table 3). Indeed, as complex polymeric matrices, they should enable the fine control of active substance release in various delivery applications [3], [134], [152], [153]. Great interest is paid to rheological studies, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. For instance, LMOGs-based organogels are frequently
Organogels in drug delivery and new therapeutic applications
Due to their incredibly entangled fibrous nano/microstructures, organogels allow entrapping a vast variety of therapeutic compounds, which makes them useful as drug delivery platforms. To be considered for pharmaceutical applications, organogels need to be biocompatible. Organogels have recently regained interest following many reports on their in vitro and in vivo applications, at various development stages.
Advantages
Thanks to their several advantages, organogels are frequently used in various applications such as food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Biodegradable and biocompatible organogels can be safe enough for a very long time and do not provoke immunogenic reactions. These particularities allow them to not be removed from the body after their administration [133], [197], [218]. In fact, the regulatory requirements for organogels established security protection rules against possible toxic side effects
Conclusion
In this review, we have documented recent advances in terms of organogel preparation, characterization and applications. As amply demonstrated in the literature, physicochemical properties of organogels play a central role in their formation and stabilization. They present unique characteristics including their thermodynamic behavior, viscoelasticity and versatility. These characteristics can easily be tuned by simple formulation adjustments, resulting in highly-structured architectures. Their
Fundings
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Authors declare hereby no competitive interest.
Acknowledgements
C.L.E wishes to thank the Faculté de pharmacie, Université de Montréal, for her recruiting scholarship.
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