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Preparation and Characterization of Nanoliposomes for the Entrapment of Bioactive Hydrophilic Globular Proteins
Published on: August 31, 2019
Spray congealed lipid microparticles with high protein loading: preparation and solid state characterisation.
Marcello Di Sabatino1, Beatrice Albertini, Vicky L Kett
1Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Bologna, Via S. Donato 19/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Summary
Spray-congealing effectively encapsulates proteins in lipid microparticles, achieving high loading and preserving structural integrity. This solvent-free method is suitable for producing protein-loaded drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Technology
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Developing solvent-free methods for encapsulating sensitive biomolecules like proteins is crucial for drug delivery.
- Lipid-based particulate systems offer potential for controlled release and enhanced stability of encapsulated drugs.
- Spray-congealing is an emerging technique for producing microparticles without organic solvents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the spray-congealing technique for producing bovine serum albumin (BSA)-loaded lipid microparticles.
- To characterize the physical properties and encapsulation efficiency of the BSA-loaded microparticles.
- To assess the structural integrity of BSA after encapsulation using advanced spectroscopic methods.
Main Methods:
- Spray-congealing using low melting point lipids (glyceryl palmitostearate, trimyristin, tristearin) with BSA as a model protein.
- Characterization of microparticles including particle size, morphology, and drug loading.
- Analysis of BSA structural integrity using UV spectrophotometry (fourth derivative mode) and FT-Raman spectroscopy.
- Thermal analysis of the protein-loaded lipid systems.
Main Results:
- High protein loading (10-20% w/w) and encapsulation efficiency (>90%) were achieved.
- Spherical microparticles with a mean diameter of 150-300 μm were produced.
- Spectroscopic analysis indicated that the structural integrity of BSA was maintained throughout the process.
- Thermal analysis confirmed the influence of protein loading on the lipid carrier properties.
Conclusions:
- Spray-congealing is a viable solvent-free technique for producing highly loaded, structurally intact protein microparticles.
- The method offers a promising approach for developing advanced lipid-based drug delivery systems.
- Preservation of protein structure is a key advantage of this encapsulation method.
