Review article on nanoemulsions and nanostructured lipid carriers

Abstract

Lipid nanoparticles, including nanoemulsions (NEs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are colloidal carriers with a lipid matrix that is solid at body temperature. These colloidal carriers have attracted increasing interest for their use in therapeutic and cosmetic applications. The performance of lipid nanoparticle formulations is greatly influenced by their composition and structure. Lipid nanoparticles are generally composed of lipids, surfactants and co-surfactants. The lipid materials used in the production of lipid nanoparticles are usually solid at room temperature. Being well-tolerated in physiological conditions, lipid nanoparticles are typically biocompatible. Liquid lipids, or oils, are specifically used for production of NLCs. In most cases, lipid nanoparticles are produced as dispersions and surface-tailored with surfactants to improve dispersion stability. It was shown that NLCs reveal some advantages for drug therapy over conventional carriers, including increased solubility, the ability to enhance storage stability, improved permeability and bioavailability, reduced adverse effect, prolonged half-life, and tissue-targeted delivery.