Development of a novel nanocapsule formulation by emulsion-diffusion combined with high hydrostatic pressure

Abstract

A common method used to prepare polymeric nanoparticles in pharmaceutical technology is emulsion-diffusion. However, this method has several disadvantages due to the long duration of the process. At the diffusion step of conventional emulsion-diffusion, high pressure treatment could replace the addition of great quantities of water resulting in diffusion of the solvents from the internal phase to the external phase. The objective of the present study was to develop a novel method for nanoparticle formulation by combining high pressure treatment with the emulsion-diffusion method to avoid an additional diffusion step in the aqueous phase. After emulsification at 11 000 rpm, the emulsions were pressurized at 100, 200 and 300 Mpa, each for 300, 600, 900 or 1200 s. The mean size and morphology of the nanoparticles were analysed by Mastersizer Õ , TEM and SEM. The mean size of pressurized emulsion nanoparticles was the same at 100 MPa for holding times up to 600 s. Also, the pressurized emulsion nanoparticle size increased and the peak and width of the size distribution curve was higher and slightly narrower depending on the pressure and the holding time. This study shows that pressure treatment can produce polymer membranes surrounding the oil surface owing to the precipitation of PCL, inducing the diffusion of solvent from the interior to the exterior based on TEM images. From these results, it is believed that high pressure treatment should be considered as a successful alternative for preparing nanoparticles.

Nanoencapsulation of Essential Oils as Natural Food Antimicrobial Agents: An Overview

“…The morphology and structure of the nanocapsules were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that β-cyclodextrin can be used as a cryoprotectant to maintain the physical stability of eugenol and protect eugenol from freezing damage [85].…”

Effects of surfactants on the physical properties of capsicum oleoresin-loaded nanocapsules formulated through the emulsion–diffusion method

“…The subsequent addition of water in the emulsion induces solvent diffusion from the dispersed phase to the continuous phase, resulting in the formation of ''nanospheres (matrices)" or ''nanocapsules (liquid embedded in a wall material)" (Quintanar-Guerrero, Fessi, Allémann, & Doelker, 1996). This technique is performed using biopolymers, such as poly-D,L-lactic acid (PLA) Quintanar-Guerrero et al, 1996) and polycaprolactone (PCL) (Lee, Min, Bourgeois, & Choi, 2008). The advantages of this formulation are high yields of encapsulation, high reproducibility, better particle size control, and the ease of scaling up production (Moinard, Chevalier, Briançon, Beney, & Fessi, 2008).…”

Influence of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Capsicum Oleoresin Encapsulated by Globular Protein

“…Ten milliliters of the emulsions were placed in a 15 mL centrifuge tube (1.5 cm interior diameter x 12 cm length) and stored for 1 month. Then, it was centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 20 min to measure the creaming index (Lee, Min, Bourgeois, & Choi, 2008). The height of the emulsion was measured by a ruler and calculated as the percentage of emulsion height per total height of solution according to Eq.…”