Spatially Controlled Molecular Encapsulation in Natural Pine Pollen Microcapsules

Abstract The loading of multiple drugs into a single carrier is an effective advanced clinical therapeutic for various diseases. Here, by exploiting the architectural features of natural pine pollen from Pinus massoniana , the spatially controlled encapsulation of two types of molecules in distinct compartments of a single microparticulate carrier is demonstrated. By simple vacuum and passive loading, diverse molecules such as proteins, organic dyes, and a drug are effectively encapsulated into the pollen microcapsule in binary fashion. This technique represents an advancement toward the use of natural pollen grains as a multifunctional molecular vehicle for functional drug delivery systems and innovative theranostic microdevices.