Clays as Vehicles for Drug Photostability

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Clay minerals possess high adsorption capacity, making them suitable for stabilizing drugs and pharmaceutical products.
• Their natural abundance, low toxicity, and cost-effectiveness support their use in various applications.
• Incorporating organic molecules into clay structures opens new avenues for functional materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize research on the stability of drugs, cosmetics, dermocosmetics, and pharmaceutical compounds within clay mineral structures.
• To review the photostabilization of these compounds and highlight its significance.
• To explore the role of clay minerals as drug carriers, focusing on enhanced solubility and bioavailability.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review using databases: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct.
• Analysis of studies investigating the incorporation of pharmaceutical compounds into clay minerals.
• Evaluation of data on drug stability, photostabilization, solubility, and bioavailability.

Main Results:

• Clay minerals effectively stabilize incorporated drugs, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical compounds.
• Photostabilization is a key benefit, protecting sensitive compounds from degradation.
• Clay minerals improve the solubility and bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients, enhancing their efficacy as drug carriers.

Conclusions:

• Clay minerals are valuable materials for stabilizing and delivering drugs, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical compounds.
• Their properties can be tailored by incorporating organic molecules, leading to novel functional materials.
• Further research into clay minerals for biological and biotechnological applications holds significant promise.