International Journal of Pharmaceutics 2003-05-12

Preparation of solid lipid nanoparticles by a solvent emulsification-diffusion technique.

Michele Trotta, Francesca Debernardi, Otto Caputo

Index: Int. J. Pharm. 257(1-2) , 153-60, (2003)

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Abstract

A preparation method for nanoparticles based on the emulsification of a butyl lactate or benzyl alcohol solution of a solid lipid in an aqueous solution of different emulsifiers, followed by dilution of the emulsion with water, was used to prepare glyceryl monostearate nanodispersions with narrow size distribution. To increase the lipid load the process was conducted at 47+/-2 degrees C and in order to reach submicron size a high-shear homogenizer was used. Particle size of the solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) was affected by using different emulsifiers and different lipid loads. By using lecithin and taurodeoxycholic acid sodium salt, on increasing the GMS percentage from 2.5 to 10% an increase of the mean diameter from 205 to 695 nm and from 320 to 368nm was observed for the SLN prepared using benzyl alcohol and butyl lactate, respectively. Transmission electron micrographs of SLN reveal nanospheres with a smooth surface.