Engineering BioChoice Lignin-Based Microparticles for Applications in Veterinary Medicine

Domtar是北美最大的无涂层自由单张纸综合生产商。因此，它们是木质素的主要生产者，木质素是一种价值相对较低的副产品，被用作固体燃料来产生工艺蒸汽和动力。木质素是植物细胞壁中的一种物质，是地球上第二丰富的可再生碳源。Domtar最近生产了美国农业部认证的高级生物基木质素，被称为biochoice木质素，在能源和化学工业中有潜在的应用。该研究计划首次探索Domtar专有的BioChoice木质素及其衍生物，通过该研究合成，用于药物输送。预计这项研究将为Domtar带来新的知识产权，并将其专有材料BioChoice带入制药领域。Domtar的专有BioChoice Kraft木质素是从普利茅斯工厂的黑液中生产出来的，产量约为每天50-100吨。普利茅斯纸浆厂是第一家商业化的示范工厂，Domtar公司还有其他11家纸浆厂，其中4家在加拿大。随着需求和市场的增长，Domtar打算在许多或所有这些设施中建立木质素产能。鉴于木质素的低成本、可持续性、抗氧化性、生物相容性和可生物降解性，木质素在生物医学领域的应用备受关注。然而，目前很少有研究探索木质素及其衍生物在药物传递中的应用。目前的研究目标是合成并充分表征生物选择木质素为基础的微颗粒，为兽医应用提供药物的缓释。2013年，全球动物保健市场价值278亿美元，预计2019年将达到419亿美元。新技术为伴侣动物和商业动物提供药物控制，以保持健康和治疗疾病，将进一步推动这一快速增长的行业。加拿大该行业的发展将为化学、制药和兽医科学方面的科学家带来新的机会。

Domtar is the largest integrated producer of uncoated free sheet paper in North America. As a result they are amajor producer of lignin, a relatively low value by-product that is used as a solid fuel to generate process steamand power. Lignin, a substance in the cellular walls of plants, is the second most abundant renewable carbonsource on our planet. Domtar has recently produced high-grade USDA Certified bio-based lignin, referred to asBioChoice lignin for potential applications in the energy and chemical industries. For the first time, theproposed research intends to explore Domtar's proprietary BioChoice lignin and derivatives, to be synthesizedthrough this research, for applications in drug delivery. It is expected that this research will result in newintellectual property for Domtar and bring its proprietary material BioChoice into the pharmaceutical realm.Domtar's proprietary BioChoice Kraft lignin is produced from the black liquor of the Plymouth mill at a rate ofabout 50-100 tons per day. While the Plymouth mill was the first commercial demonstration plant, Domtar alsohas 11 other pulp mills, four of which are in Canada. It is Domtar's intention to build out their lignin capacity inmany or all of these facilities as demands and markets grow. Given lignin's low cost, sustainability, resistanceto oxidation, biocompatibility and biodegradability it is of interest for use in biomedical applications. Yet todate, very few studies have explored lignin and its derivatives for applications in drug delivery. The goal of thecurrent research is to synthesize and fully characterize BioChoice lignin-based microparticles that providesustained release of drugs for veterinary applications. The global animal healthcare market, was valued atUS$27.8 billion in 2013 and is expected to reach US$41.9 billion in 2019. New technologies that providecontrolled delivery of drugs for maintenance of good health and treatment of diseases in companion andcommercial animals will further advance this fast growing industry. Growth in this industry in Canada willresult in new opportunities for scientists trained in chemistry as well as pharmaceutical and veterinary sciences.