Nanocapsules prepared via nanoprecipitation and emulsification-diffusion methods: Comparative study

The encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs has been widely investigated using mainly oil phase in order to enhance the encapsulation efficiency. However, the effect of the starting materials on the colloidal properties of the final nanocapsules irrespective of the elaboration process has been neglected, and the hydrophobic drug location in the disperse media has not been completely elucidated. Therefore, this paper describes the effect of the oil used in the recipe and the preparation method on the behavior of nanocapsules prepared via nanoprecipitation and via emulsification-diffusion. The colloidal stability of the final dispersions, drug location and the drug release are preparation method dependent. In turn, the type of oil governs drug encapsulation efficiency regardless of the method and the size when nanocapsules are prepared by nanoprecipitation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.