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Updated: Oct 15, 2025
Formulating and Characterizing Lipid Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery using a Microfluidic Mixing Platform
Published on: February 25, 2021
Solid lipid nanoparticles by Venturi tube: preparation, characterization and optimization by Box-Behnken design
Gilberto García-Salazar1, María de la Luz Zambrano-Zaragoza2, Eduardo Serrano-Mora1
1Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Cuautitlán Izcalli, México.
A novel Venturi tube method efficiently produces solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) using turbulent flow. This technique optimizes key parameters for high yield and controlled nanometric particle size, offering a versatile approach for SLN preparation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are crucial drug delivery systems.
- Current methods for SLN production face challenges in scalability and control.
- Efficient and versatile methods for SLN preparation are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a Venturi tube as a static mixer for continuous SLN production.
- To optimize critical process parameters for monoolein-based SLN preparation.
- To assess the impact of variables like injection rate, recirculation rate, and stabilizer concentration on SLN characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A Venturi tube was integrated into a continuous recirculation system.
- Turbulent flow within the Venturi tube was utilized for rapid diffusion and lipid aggregation.
- A Box-Behnken design was employed to study independent variables (injection rate, recirculation rate, stabilizer concentration) and dependent variables (yield, particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential).
Main Results:
- Optimal conditions determined: injection rate 1.6 mL/min, recirculation rate 4.2 L/min, stabilizer concentration 1.0% w/v.
- Predicted responses: particle size 212.0 nm, polydispersity index 0.21, zeta potential -19.9 mV, process yield 96.0%.
- The method successfully produced SLN with nanometric size and zeta potential of approximately -30.0 mV using different lipids and stabilizers.
Conclusions:
- The Venturi tube method is an innovative and effective technique for SLN preparation.
- This method offers high process yields and control over nanometric particle characteristics.
- The turbulent flow generated by the Venturi tube facilitates versatile SLN production.
