ABSTRACT

Colloidally dispersed lipids are interesting carrier systems for poorly water solu­ ble, bioactive substances. Beside their importance in fields such as cosmetics or food science, they are under intensive investigation as drug carriers, e.g., for the administration of lipophilic drugs into the bloodstream. Some of these systems may also serve as drug-targeting devices, i.e., for the delivery of drugs to specific target organs or tissues. Since colloidal lipid carrier systems often mimic physio­ logical structures and are of similar composition as their physiological counter­ parts, a good physiological acceptance is expected for these types of carriers. Important examples for colloidal lipid drug carriers are the phospholipid-based liposomes, mixed micelles of lecithin and bile salts and colloidal fat emulsions containing phospholipid-stabilized droplets of liquid oils [1-6]. The latter also play an important role as a calorie source in parenteral nutrition [7,8]. These “classic” types of colloidal lipid carrier systems have been under investigation for several decades.