Essential Oil-Loaded NLC for Potential Intranasal Administration

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Nanomedicine
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Complementary and alternative medicines are gaining research interest globally.
• Nanoencapsulation of essential oils is a promising drug delivery strategy.
• Intranasal administration offers a direct route for brain delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for intranasal delivery of essential oils (Lavandula, Mentha, Rosmarinus).
• To evaluate NLCs as a potential add-on therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
• To characterize and compare essential oil-loaded NLCs with control formulations.

Main Methods:

• Development and characterization of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC).
• Intranasal administration route explored for essential oil delivery.
• Physical-chemical characterization including size, polydispersity index (PDI), and morphology.
• Cytocompatibility studies on murine and human fibroblasts.

Main Results:

• Homogeneous nanoparticles (PDI < 0.2) with small size (<200 nm) and good stability were achieved.
• NLC structures varied based on the liquid oil component.
• NLCs with Lavandula or Rosmarinus essential oils exhibited more ordered structures and higher cytocompatibility.
• Positively charged NLCs with Lavandula or Rosmarinus showed enhanced properties.

Conclusions:

• Optimized, positively charged NLCs loaded with Lavandula or Rosmarinus essential oils are suitable for intranasal administration.
• These NLCs show potential as an add-on strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
• The mucoadhesive properties of NLCs and beneficial effects of essential oils support their therapeutic potential.