Novel nano-engineering phytantriol-F127-based cubosomes for antibiotic delivery

Abstract

Nanoparticles exhibited exceptional properties for drug delivery via different routes with excellent pharmacokinetics profiles using minimal dosages with almost no systemic side effects. The delivery of drug molecules for therapeutic applications usually faces problems of solubility and bioavailability that cubosomes can easily overcome. Cubosomes are cubic lipid-based nanoparticles with increased surface area, low viscosity and high heat stability. The preparation of cubosomes and drug encapsulation are still procedures requiring important improvements that have limit their use as drug delivery system. This work we developed a simple experimental procedure able to produce controlled-size cubosomes with different hydrodynamic size dependent of the phytantriol/ethanol (lipid/hydrotrope) ratio. Moreover, cubosomes were easily loaded with ciprofloxacin without structural changes. The results of this study will greatly impact on the applicability of cubosomes as drug delivery system.