ABSTRACT
Liquid crystalline phases, also called mesophases, bear a high potential in drug delivery which may be further extended by their use in nanoparticulate form. This chapter describes the different types of nanoparticles based on lyotropic and thermotropic mesophases, like cubosomes, hexosomes and supercooled smectic nanoparticles. In addition to compositional and structural aspects as well as the preparation and physicochemical characterization of the nanoparticles another focus is although the field needs to be considered in more detail for such nanoparticulate systems. Nanoparticles in the Glyceryl Monolinoleate/tetradecane/water system could also be formed in the presence of clay particles. Cell culture studies with rhodamin labeled Glyceryl Monooleate -nanoparticles indicated their uptake into Caco-2 cells. Nanoparticles based on the supercooled smectic phase of cholesterol esters were introduced as a potential novel carrier system for lipophilic drugs. Electron microscopic investigations indicate that supercooled smectic nanoparticles have a nearly cylindrical particle shape in most cases.
