ABSTRACT
Submicron-sized triglyceride emulsions are commonly used as a high-calorie source in parenteral nutrition and may also serve as drug carrier systems for the parenteral, even the intravenous administration of lipophilic drugs. Especially an increased viscosity of the supercooled droplets compared to ordinary triglyceride oils would be favorable with respect to drug release. The development of solid lipid nanoparticles revealed the possibility to prepare submicron-sized particles from crystalline material by the melt-homogenization process. Enteral administration of the lipophilic drugs does often lead to bioavailability problems, particularly upon peroral administration, due to low absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Ubidecarenone nanoparticles can also serve as an alternative carrier system for lipophilic drugs. Colloidal dispersions of melt-homogenized lipophilic substances can display pronounced supercooling which is much higher than in the bulk and may differ considerably from that of microsized emulsions. The chapter discusses the drawbacks and potential of supercooled emulsions for use in drug delivery.
