Natural and Modified Silica-Based Materials as Carriers for NSAIDs

Abstract

In the last two decades several representatives of natural silica-based materials (clays, zeolites, and diatomites) have emerged in biomedical applications due to their favorable physicochemical and functionality-related characteristics along with good biocompatibility. The possibility of their use in drug delivery as carriers for NSAIDs, as one of the most widely prescribed drugs, is particularly interesting since it would overcome some of the therapy-related side effects and improve patience compliance.This chapter gives an overview of natural silica-based materials' characteristics relevant for their pharmaceutical use, along with various examples of their structure modification in order to obtain materials with improved functional properties as potential drug carriers. A review on application of these materials in drug delivery of NSAIDs is presented including evaluation of techniques used for drug silica based carrier characterization in addition to investigation of their biopharmaceutical performances.