Solid lipid nanoparticles and nanoemulsions containing ceramides: preparation and physicochemical characterization

Area of Science:

• * Nanotechnology
• * Pharmaceutical Sciences
• * Cosmetic Science

Background:

• * Ceramides are vital for skin barrier function but challenging to formulate due to lipophilicity.
• * Nanoemulsions (NEs) and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are advanced colloidal carriers for bioactive compounds.
• * Topical delivery systems aim to improve the efficacy of lipophilic molecules like ceramides.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To evaluate NEs and SLNs for topical ceramide delivery.
• * To assess the physicochemical properties and stability of ceramide-loaded NEs and SLNs.
• * To compare the suitability of NEs versus SLNs for ceramide formulation.

Main Methods:

• * Formulation and characterization of NEs and SLNs incorporating ceramides.
• * Stability studies over time.
• * Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• * Component interaction analysis via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Main Results:

• * NEs successfully incorporated high ceramide concentrations (48.4% of total lipids) with spherical, homogeneous nanoparticles.
• * Ceramide-loaded NEs demonstrated excellent stability over time.
• * SLNs showed limited ceramide incorporation (<10.8% of total lipids), leading to rod-like structures and poor homogeneity.
• * High polydispersity indexes indicated instability in SLN formulations with higher ceramide loads.

Conclusions:

• * Nanoemulsions are more suitable than solid lipid nanoparticles for topical ceramide delivery.
• * NEs provide a stable and effective platform for incorporating high amounts of ceramides.
• * The findings support the use of NEs for enhancing skin barrier repair and function.