Colloidosomes: An Emerging Vesicular System in Drug Delivery

Abstract

The application of colloidal and nanoparticulate carrier systems in the biomedical field has changed the definitions of diagnosis, treatment, and disease management. Carrier systems such as liposomes, polymeric particles, and micro-emulsion droplets are used for the sustained release of drugs, pesticides, fragrances, and other substances. Although such delivery systems are widely employed in specialized areas such as gene delivery, targeting to brain, tumor targeting, and oral vaccine formulations, problems associated with their stability and permeability are often encountered, thereby limiting their general application. In the series of vesicular systems, colloidosomes are emerging as a potential tool for controlled delivery of drugs as well as of cosmetics and food supplements. Colloidosomes are solid microcapsules formed by the self-assembly of colloidal particles at the interface of emulsion droplets. Colloidosomes offer precise control over their size, permeability, compatibility, and mechanical strength and can be prepared with an aqueous, aqueous gel, or oily core. This review focuses on the types, fabrication techniques, and stability of colloidosomes.

Active structuring of colloidal armour on liquid drops

“…Particle-stabilized emulsions and their use as templates for making colloidal structures have a vast range of applications, notably in food processing12, biomedicine1314 and petroleum industry15. It is increasingly realized that the colloidal-coated particles can have a role that goes beyond mere encapsulation: colloidal particle surface properties and volume can respond to temperature and solvent changes, colloidal particles can also be manipulated by external fields and act as catalyst to chemical reactions.…”

Design of Nano‐Laminated Coatings to Control Bioavailability of Lipophilic Food Components

“…Colloidosomes Colloidosomes usually consist of large particles surrounded by a coating of smaller particles (Figure 3). These systems are typically formed by mixing together a suspension containing large droplets with one containing small droplets under conditions where there is a sufficiently strong attractive force between the different types of particles (Gu and others 2007; Shilpi and others 2007). This attractive force may simply be a free energy decrease upon adsorption, or it may be primarily hydrophobic or electrostatic in origin.…”

Nanomaterials in controlled drug release

“…Various nanoparticles since then were designed and developed, including poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(L-lactic acid)/poly(b-benzyl-L-aspartate), poly(lactideco-glycolide)-[(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)], polyphosphazene derivatives, poly(ethylene glycol)-coated nanospheres, azidothymidin (AZT)/dideoxycytidine (ddc) nanoparticles, poly (isobutylcynoacrylate) nanocapsules, poly(g-benzyl-L-glutamate)/poly(ethylene oxide), chitosan-poly(ethylene oxide) nanoparticles, methotrexate-o-carboxymethylate chitosan, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and so on (Blasi et al 2009;Caruso et al 2010;Chekhonin et al 2009;Fonseca et al 2009;Gilmore et al 2008;Graf et al 2009;Huynh et al 2009;Jatariu et al 2009;Kaur et al 2008;Khalil and Mainardes 2009;Ljubimova et al 2008;Mistry et al 2009b;Modi et al 2010;Namdeo et al 2008;Shilpi et al 2007;Tosi et al 2008;Wong et al 2010). Further to these polymer nanoparticles, there are metal-based, lipid-based, and biological nanoparticles.…”