Biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) have received considerable attention because of their possible use in the development of strategies for the topical delivery of oils and therapeutic drugs, particularly when drug penetration in dermis is desired. Zein is a prolamine and is a promising material for the design of drug delivery systems. In this study, NPs were prepared with zein and were used to encapsulate and release terpinen-4-ol, which is a therapeutic agent for the treatment of melanoma. The results show that the zein NPs are promising nanostructured systems for the prolonged delivery of T4OL with potential applications in anti-melanoma therapy.

In this study the viability of using guar gum to form films was investigated along with the effectiveness of the cross-linking process employing 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) as the cross-linking agent. In addition, the cross-linked films were evaluated considering the water absorption, thermal stability and mechanical properties. The cross-linking process of guar gum films was confirmed by the low solubility in water and through infrared analysis. The results shown that the properties evaluated were affected by the cross-linking process due to changes in the polysaccharide structure. For example, the swelling behavior and water vapor absorption decreased with an increase in the amount of EDC. The EDC content (10-30%) also affected the polymer structure and hydrogen bond formation, reducing the thermal stability of the system.