In this study, drug delivery nanocarriers based on glyceryl tristearate and castor oil at different ratios were prepared by the hot solvent diffusion method. PEG 660-stearate or Poloxamer 188 and soybean lecithin were used as surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively. Structural and physicochemical characteristics of the particles were investigated by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM and cryo-TEM). DLS data indicated that smaller particles were obtained when the liquid lipid was used alone to prepare nanoemulsions (NEs). TEM and cryo-TEM images showed that NEs presented spherical particles, whereas solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) presented more complex shapes. SLNs exhibited lamellar crystal structure, while NLCs displayed a hybrid structure composed of a lamellar crystalline phase in contact with a liquid oil compartment. These experiments contribute to a better understanding of the structure and release performance of these drug carrier systems.
solid lipid nanoparticles; nanostructured lipid carriers; nanoemulsions; structural investigation; drug delivery systems
