Engineering BioChoice Lignin-Based Microparticles for Applications in Veterinary Medicine

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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.