Smart and Biofunctional Textiles: An Alternative for Vehiculation of Active Principles

Abstract

In November 2017, the title of the International Symposium on Materials from Renewables (ISMR) was “Advanced, Smart, and Sustainable Polymers, Fibers and Textiles”. Three specific sessions occurred under the denomination of “Smart Fibers and Textiles”. That simple fact gives an idea of the importance of this work. However, what really are smart textiles? In the foreword of the book edited by Tao, X. [1], Lewis states clearly that these type of textiles are not only special finished fabrics. The main defining idea of smart textiles is related to the “active character” of them. Smart textiles “react to environmental stimuli, from mechanical, thermal, chemical, magnetic or others”, including biotechnology, information technology, microelectronics, wearable computers, nanotechnology, and micromechanical machines. Biofunctional textiles are fibrous substrates that have been modified to attain new properties and added value. The main idea is to modify their parameters, especially related to comfort, adapting the tissues’ reaction to external or internal stimuli. Such textiles constitute appropriate substrates to be used for the delivery of active principles in cosmetic or pharmaceutical applications. Due to their specific response, biofunctional textiles are especially useful when the textile comes into close contact with the skin. As most of the human body is covered with some sort of textile, the potential of this type of textile is considerable. Textiles with functional properties used for delivery to skin have been studied and patented [2,3]. Three cases will be explored in this work as examples of biofunctional systems obtained using vehicles to transport different active principles to a textile substrate: Microcapsules, cyclodextrins, and liposomes.