Properties of various phosphatidylcholines as emulsifiers or dispersing agents in microparticle preparations for drug carriers

We investigated characteristics of various phosphatidylcholines (PCs) used as dispersing agents and emulsifiers. Six PCs with different lengths of acyl hydrocarbon chains and different degrees of unsaturated acyl hydrocarbon chains were selected to examine influences of a lipophillic part of phosphatidylcholines in emulsion and dispersion systems. Vesicles and oil-in-water emulsions were prepared by sonication under several ambient temperature conditions. Mean diameters of vesicles and oil droplets in emulsions were measured by a submicron particle sizer. In vesicles that are generated by hydration of the PCs and have a bilayer form, particle size was influenced by length and degree of unsaturation of acyl hydrocarbon chains of a PC. PCs with shorter acyl hydrocarbon chains or unsaturated bonds are considered more potent dispersing agents. Preparation temperature of the PC is also a factor affecting potency of dispersion. In O/W emulsions in which PCs were absorbed at water-oil interfaces and which have a single layer form or liquid-crystal layer form, particle size was also influenced by length and degree of unsaturation of acyl hydrocarbon chains of a PC. PCs with shorter and saturated acyl hydrocarbon chains are considered more potent emulsifiers. Unsaturation of acyl hydrocarbon chains weaken the ability of emulsification due to vulnerable double bonds. For stable emulsions, it is considered beneficial for PCs to form small oil droplets and lamellae liquid-crystal phase. From this perspective, saturated PCs with short hydrocarbon chains, i.e., DLPC and DMPC, may have advantages in preparing a stable emulsion not only by giving a smaller droplet size but also by forming lamellae liquid-crystal phase. When considering characteristics of PCs as emulsifiers, their characteristics as dispersing agents is also useful information.     

Effect of phospholipid insertion on arrayed polydiacetylene biosensors

Micro-arrayed polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles mixed with phospholipids on glass slides were prepared for label-free detection of Escherichia coli. When E. coli bound to its antibodies chemically attached to polydiacetylene, the fluorescence of the vesicles was dramatically increased. The insertion of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) in the vesicles drastically reduced the response time for the fluorescence changes. Vesicles with 20-30% DMPC provided optimal results for bacterial detection. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra analysis suggested that DMPC insertion decreased the strength of hydrogen bonding among the amide and carboxylic acid groups of the polydiacetylene vesicles. Reduced bonding strength resulted in less rigid structure of the polydiacetylene polymer, allowing more rapid detection upon molecular recognition.     

Formula Optimization of Emulsifiers for Preparation of Multiple Emulsions Based on Artificial Neural Networks

Formulation optimization of emulsifiers for preparing multiple emulsions was performed in respect of stability by using artificial neural network (ANN) technique. Stability of multiple emulsions was expressed by the percentage of reserved emulsion volume of freshly prepared sample after centrifugation. Individual properties of multiple emulsions such as droplet size, δ, viscosity of the primary and the multiple emulsions were also considered. A back‐propagation (BP) network was well trained with experimental data pairs and then used as an interpolating function to estimate the stability of emulsions of different formulations. It is found that using mixtures of Span 80 and Tween 80 with different mass ratio as both lipophilic and hydrophilic emulsifiers, multiple W/O/W emulsions can be prepared and the stability is sensitive to the mixed HLB numbers and concentration of the emulsifiers. By feeding ANN with 39 pairs of experimental data, the ANN is well trained and can predict the influences of several formulation variables to the immediate emulsions stability. The validation examination indicated that the immediate stability of the emulsions predicted by the ANN is in good agreement with measured values. ANN therefore could be a powerful tool for rapid screening emulsifier formulation. However, the long‐term stability of the emulsions is not good, possibly due to the variation of the HLB number of the mixed monolayers by diffusion of emulsifier molecules, but can be greatly improved by using a polymer surfactant Arlacel P135 to replace the lipophilic emulsifier.     

Influence of the HLB parameter of surfactants on the dispersion properties of brine in residue

In order to study the relationship between the hydrophilic–lipophilic balance of surfactants and the dispersion properties of brine in residue, using droplet size and droplet distribution analytical method were determined on emulsions prepared with emulsifier blends of varying hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) values the required HLB values of emulsion. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of HLB on the dispersion properties of brine in residue. The type of emulsion was prepared using emulsifiers with various hydrophilic–lipophilic balance values. The droplet size and droplet distribution varied widely among emulsions containing emulsifiers with different HLB values. The results obtained in this study indicate that the different systems of residue/brine need different HLB values. The HLB value of the emulsion with the least dispersion ratio or the least average droplet diameter was taken as the system of residue/brine required HLB the required HLB values of (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄·4H₂O, Co(NO₃)₂, NiSO₄, Ni(NO₃)₂ and FeSO₄. The results showed that the values of HLB were determined as different system of emulsion.     

Effect of cholesterol or phospholipid incorporation on the chemical stability of the muramyldpeptide derivative B30-MDP in mixed vesicles

Application of the muramyldipeptide derivative B30-MDP to liposomal vaccines will aid in the development of improved high immunogenicity vaccines. To give full play to the effectiveness of B30-MDP as a liposomal vaccine, it is important to evaluate the effect of cholesterol, dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) or distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) incorporation on the chemical stability of B30-MDP and physicochemical properties of B30-MDP/lipid mixed vesicles from the view point of pharmaceutics.The observed degradation rate constants of B30-MDP by hydrolysis in B30-MDP/cholesterol mixed vesicles were increased with increasing concentration of cholesterol, however, those in B30-MDP/DMPC and B30-MDP/DSPC mixed vesicles were unchanged with increasing concentration of DMPC and DSPC. The degradation behavior of B30-MDP was then compared with physicochemical properties of B30-MDP/lipid mixed vesicles, such as membrane fluidity and particle size. It was apparent that the degradation of B30-MDP in B30-MDP/cholesterol mixed vesicles was influenced by the particle size, but not by the fluidity of the membranes. In the case of B30-MDP/phospholipid mixed vesicles, MDP/phospholipid mixed vesicles, the degradation of B30-MDP was not influenced by either the membranes' fluidity or the particle size of the mixed vesicles.It is considered that the degradation of B30-MDP in the mixed vesicles is dependent on the membrane state, and the addition of cholesterol to B30-MDP vesicle inhibits the mutual interaction of MDP regions, whereas the addition of phospholipids hardly influences the mutual interaction of MDP regions, possibly owing to phase separation between B30-MDP and phospholipids.     

Evaluation of process conditions and characterization of particle size and stability of oil-in-water nanoemulsions

This article reports on the oil in water (o/w) nanoemulsions, which were prepared using a mixture of solvents (decane, toluene and cyclohexane) as oils and the mixtures of ethoxylated lauryl alcohols with various concentrations as surfactants with HLB values ranged from 10 to 12. The Ultra-Turrax (rotor-stator type) stirring and/or ultrasound processing were applied for varied processing times. The data show that the particle sizes in nanoemulsions prepared with ultrasound were smaller than those produced by stirring. The stability of these emulsions was, however, enhanced, when the mixtures were preliminary processed with the shearing agitator. The most stable nanoemulsions were obtained in 10 wt % surfactant mixture of the alcohols with HLB 11 in the shearing agitator.     

淀粉/丙烯酸反相乳液体系的稳定性研究

以丙烯酸(AA)单体的水溶液为水相,液体石蜡为油相,失水山梨醇三油酸酯(Span 85)和辛基苯基聚氧乙烯醚(Opan 10)为复合乳化剂,合成了淀粉/丙烯酸反相乳液;考察了乳化剂亲水亲油平衡值(HLB值)、油水比、乳化剂用量、单体浓度、温度对乳液稳定性和类型的影响.结果表明,合成淀粉/丙烯酸稳定反相乳液体系的适宜条件...     

Oil Base Mud. Part I: Synthesis of Some Local Surfactants Used as Primary Emulsifiers for Oil Base Mud and Evaluation of Their Rheology Properties

Six oil soluble nonionic surfactants with different HLBs have been prepared. Their HLBs situate between 3.9 and 6.7. Transesterification was carried out for glycerol and triethanol amine with oleic acid at different moles to obtain six emusilifiers. They named glycerol momooleate (I), glycerol diooleate (II), glycerol trioleate (III), triethanol amine mono-, di- and tri-oleate (IV), (V,) and (VI). The chemical structure was confirmed using; the elemental analysis, FTIR and ¹HNMR. They were evaluated as a primary emulsifiers (PE) for thdrilling fluids (oil base mud) comparing with a currently used primary emulsifier (Fc). The water in oil base mud (w/o emulsions) was prepared. The concentration of emulsifiers and their HLB exhibited interesting rheology properties including shear-thinning behavior, yield value, viscoelastic effects, thixtropy, gel strength, and filtration loss. The rheology properties of such emulsions strongly depended on the average size distribution of the dispersed droplets that could be varied both with the bulk concentration and HLB value of the emulsifiers. The interfacial and surface properties of these emulsifiers suggest that the droplet size of the dispersed phase and bulk concentration are strongly related to the HLB value of emulsifiers. The w/o emulsion (mud formulation) stability is sensitive to the droplet size of the dispersed phase and HLB value of the used emulsifier. The results were discussed on the light the chemical structure of the primary emulsifiers and the emulsion ingredients.     

Influence of surfactant and lipid chain length on the solubilisation of phosphatidylcholine vesicles by micelles comprised of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoesters

Photon correlation spectroscopy and freeze-fracture electron microscopy have been used to determine the ability of a range of micelle-forming, polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monoesters (Tweens) to solubilise vesicles prepared from phosphatidylcholines of different acyl chain lengths and degrees of saturation with a view to rationalising (in terms of their membrane toxicity) which of the micelle-forming surfactants to use as drug delivery vehicles. The phosphatidylcholines used were dimyristoyl-, dipalmitoyl-, distearoyl- and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC, DPPC, DSPC and DOPC, respectively) while the nonionic polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoesters studied were polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20), a 9:1 weight ratio mixture of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate and monostearate (Tween 40), a 1:1 weight ratio mixture of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate and monostearate (Tween 60), and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80). The ability of the Tween micelles to solubilise phospholipid vesicles was found to depend both upon the length of the surfactant acyl chain and the length of the acyl chains of the phospholipid comprising the vesicle. Vesicles composed of long saturated diacyl chain phospholipids, namely DSPC and DPPC, were the most resistant to solubilisation, while those prepared from the shorter acyl chained DMPC were more readily solubilised. In terms of their solubilisation behaviour, vesicles made from phospholipids containing long, unsaturated acyl chains, namely DOPC behaved more akin to those vesicles prepared from DMPC. None of the Tween surfactants were effective at solubilising vesicles prepared from DPPC or DSPC. In contrast, there were clear differences in the ability of the various surfactants to solubilise vesicles prepared from DMPC and DOPC, in that micelles formed from Tween 20 were the most effective solubilising agent while those formed by Tween 60 were the least effective. As a consequence of these observations it was considered that Tween 60 was the surfactant least likely to cause membrane damage in vivo and, therefore, is the most suitable surfactant for use as a micellar drug delivery vehicle.     

A dynamic light scattering study of the influence of the phospholipid concentration in a model perfluorocarbon emulsion

Perfluorohexyl iodide in water emulsions stabilised by phospholipids were prepared by microfluidisation. Photon correlation spectroscopy revealed that the particle size distributions of these emulsions were bimodal. Centrifugation experiments indicated that the larger mode was caused by the emulsion droplets, whereas the smaller mode was due to phospholipid vesicles formed from the excess amount of phospholipid emulsifier. Comparing the particle size distributions of perfluorocarbon emulsions containing different amounts of phospholipids, it could be concluded that emulsions with a phospholipid/fluorocarbon ratio of 2% at the most were emulsifier limited, whereas those with a ratio of at least 5% were energy input limited.     

Effect of a PEG lipid (DSPE-PEG2000) and freeze-thawing process on phospholipid vesicle size and lamellarity

Liposomes containing distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine with covalently linked polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 2,000 (DSPE-PEG2000) covering a range of 0–30 mol% were prepared by a mechanical dispersion or detergent-removal method. The effects of DSPE-PEG2000 on particle sizes and lamellarity of liposomes were investigated. The average diameters of vesicles prepared from both methods decreased when the concentration of DSPE-PEG2000 was increased. The decrease in vesicle size with increase in DSPE-PEG2000 was ascribed to the steric hindrance of strongly hydrated PEG. The significant decrease in the sizes of DSPE-PEG2000-containing EggPC vesicles prepared by the detergent-removal method could be explained by the postvesiculation size growth in the process of micelle–vesicle transition. For DMPC vesicles prepared by the detergent-removal method, electron micrographs showed that inclusion of DSPE-PEG2000 promoted vesicle formation. Based on the results of investigation of calcein entrapment efficiency, we concluded that the lamellarity of liposomes is reduced as PEG lipid concentration is increased. Fragmentation of multilamellar vesicles into smaller unilamellar vesicles occurred more readily when the liposome suspension was subjected to repetitive freeze-thawing. After five cycles of freezing and thawing, vesicles containing more than 0.5 mol% DSPE-PEG2000 were fragmented into unilamellar vesicles with diameters smaller than 300 nm.     

Dialkylphosphatidylcholine and egg yolk lecithin for emulsification of various triglycerides

Synthesized saturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) and egg yolk lecithin (EYL) were investigated to explore their influence on particle sizes in emulsions when dispersing various triglycerides (TG). One of four different kinds of synthesized saturated PC (DLPC, DMPC, DPPC and DSPC) or three different kinds of EYL (purified EYL (PEL) and hydrogenated purified EYL with two different iodine values (IV), R-20 and R-5), 2.5% (w/w) glycerol solution and one of four kinds of TG (tricaprylin, tricaprin, trilaurin and trimyristin) were sonicated five times for 1 min with intervals of 0.5 min. When using four kinds of synthesized saturated PCs as emulsifiers, the carbon numbers of each PC had a strong correlation with the mean diameters of the emulsion when analyzed with each of the four kinds of TG used in the study (regression function ranged from 0.811 to 0.915). The carbon numbers of the TG had less correlation with the mean diameters than the PC in simple regression analysis (regression function ranged from 0.236 to 0.875). Multiple regression analysis using the carbon numbers both of the PC and TG as independent variables was remarkably significant in the regression function (2.0 × 10⁻¹⁴) and all regression coefficients (2.7 × 10⁻¹³, 5.8 × 10⁻⁷ and 1.9 × 10⁻⁹ for PC, TG and intercept, respectively). Among the regression coefficients, the contribution of the carbon number of the PC was the most significant. These results indicated that a multiple regression function should be useful to estimate the mean diameters of emulsion droplets in any combinations of PC and TG used in this study.

In the experiments using three kinds of EYL, the mean diameters also tended to increase according to the order of PEL, R-20 and R-5, which corresponds to the order of degrees of saturation (IV = 75, 20 and 2, respectively). The experimental values for EYL were compared with the estimated values calculated by the multiple regression function derived from synthesized PC data using the arithmetic carbon number, based on the components of each EYL. The estimated mean diameters were at comparable levels to the corresponding experimental mean diameters in the most saturated hydrogenated lecithin (R-5), while those were larger than the experimental mean diameters in two less saturated kinds of lecithin (R-20 and purified EYL). These findings gave useful information on the mean diameters of emulsion droplets when designing an emulsion formulation using a particular combination of a phospholipid and triglyceride.     

Spontaneously Forming Unilamellar Phospholipid Vesicles

Unilamellar vesicles (ULV) consisting of a single lipid bilayer are of special interest as drug delivery vehicles. Here, we report on a spontaneously forming ULV system composed of the short- and long-chain phospholipids, dihexanoyl (DHPC) and dimyristoyl (DMPC) phosphorylcholine, respectively, doped with the negatively charged lipid, dimyristoyl phosphorylglycerol (DMPG). Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were employed to systematically investigate the effects of lipid concentration, salinity, and time on vesicle stability. It is found that ULV size is practically constant over a range of lipid concentration and temperature. The spontaneously formed ULV are stable for periods of four months, or greater, without the use of stabilizers.     

Evaluation of the Dispersing Properties of Polycarboxylate-Type Superplasticizers with Different Molecular Weight in Cement Systems

In order to evaluate the dispersing properties of polycarboxylate-type superplasticizers (PCs) with different molecular weight in cement pastes, PCs with different molecular weight (low, medium, high) were synthesized, and used as superplasticizer for cement suspensions. The effect of molecular weight of PC on the zeta potential, adsorption, fluidity of the corresponding cement suspensions was investigated systematically, and total interparticle potential energy between particles was calculated. The results show that, the higher molecular weight of PC, the larger adsorption amount of PC. PC with medium molecular weight presents a better dispersing property than PC with high molecular weight, while PC with low molecular weight falls in between. The maintaining dispersing ability of PC for cement particles is weakened gradually with the increasing of molecular weight. The changing rule of total interparticle potential energy produced by PC is in accordance with the changing rule of dispersing property of PC in cement pastes. This indicates that the calculated results of total interparticle potential energy further support the explanation of dispersing property difference of PC in theory. This article uses the sum of electrostatic energy and steric hindrance potential as the total interparticle potential energy to evaluate the dispersing property of PC for the first time, which is meaningful for evaluation of dispersing property of polymer dispersant adsorbed on particle surfaces.     

Incomplete phase inversion W/O/W emulsion and formation mechanism from an interfacial perspective

Water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion can be prepared by incomplete phase inversion method using both medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and isopropyl myristate (IPM) as oil phase, Span 85-Tween 80 (HLB values of 2.5-3.0) as mixed emulsifiers. The preparation method was simple, and the final double emulsions were proved of good microstructure and particle size distribution. Owning to the addition of Tween 80 to Span 85, interfacial tension, interfacial viscosity and modulus decreased, which contributed to the phase inversion. Furthermore, formation of reverse micelles under high-speed dispersion may be a hypothesis to explain the incomplete phase inversion phenomenon.     

Highly stable phospholipid unilamellar vesicles from spontaneous vesiculation: A DLS and SANS study

Spontaneously formed unilamellar vesicles (ULV) composed of short- and long-chain phospholipids, dihexanoyl phosphorylcholine (DHPC) and dimyristoyl phosphorylcholine (DMPC), respectively, were doped with a negatively charged lipid, dimyristoyl phosphorylglycerol (DMPG), and studied with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Upon dilution, the spontaneous formation of vesicles was found to take place from bilayered micelles, or so-called "bicelles". SANS and DLS data show that ULV with narrow size distributions are highly stable at low lipid (C(lp) < 0.50 wt %) and NaCl salt (C(s)) concentrations. ULV size was found to be independent of both C(lp) and C(s) when they were below 0.33 and 0.5 wt %, respectively. Surface charge and salinity were found to be important factors in preparing ULV of a certain size. This observation is not in complete agreement with previous experimental results and cannot be completely explained with current theoretical predictions based on equilibrium calculations for catanionic surfactant mixtures. ULV size is found to be invariant over a wide range of temperatures, both below and above the phase-transition temperature, T(M), of DMPC, and was stable for periods of weeks and months, even after sonication.     

ON THE USE OF SACCHAROSE ESTERS IN THE PREPARATION OF O/W EMULSIONS WITH LIQUID CRYSTALS

The stability and the rheological properties of emulsions prepared with saccharose esters were studied regarding the amounts of the two emulsifiers used and their HLB. The satisfactory stability of these systems has been ascribed to the presence of α-gel phases, evidenced by polarised light microscopy and studied by rheological and water evaporation measurements. The possibility of enclosing pigments such as TiO; and ZnO in these emulsions has also been verified.     

Effect of process parameters and methylcellulose supplementation on the properties of n-undecane emulsions

Study was made on the influence of processing parameters on droplet size during emulsification with an Ultra-Turrax homogenizer. Emulsions of undecane in water, stabilized with nonionic Igepals, were prepared at the optimum hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of 11.5 and oil-to-water (O/W) ratio of 5/95; the sizes of emulsion droplets were measured at intervals from the commencement of emulsification. Results showed that the optimum emulsification conditions, as pertaining to minimum particle size, arose at 13 400 rpm and 20 minutes of Ultra-Turrax treatment. Additionally, effects exerted by the presence of methylcellulose, time and storage temperature on the emulsions were determined. Emulsions prepared at the optimal processing parameters revealed that the smallest particle sizes (lower than 200 nm) and the best emulsion stability were demonstrated at the oil/water ratios of 3/97 and 5/95, with 3% surfactant content, an HLB value of 10 to 11 and the storage temperature of 25°C, irrespective of the content of methylcellulose.     

Preparation of Water-in-Diesel Fuel Nanoemulsions Using High-Energy Emulsification Method and a Study of Some of Their Surface Active Properties

In this work, formations of water-in-diesel fuel nanoemulsions using water/mixed nonionic surfactant/diesel fuel system has been studied. The high-energy emulsification method was used to form three emulsions using different water contents: 5, 10, and 14% (v/v) namely; E1, E2, and E3, respectively. These nanoemulsions were stabilized with emulsifiers having different hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB), namely, Span 80 (HLB = 4.3), Emarol 85 (HLB = 11), and their mixture (SE) with HLB = 10. The effect of water on the droplet size formation has been investigated. The interfacial tension and thermodynamic properties of the individual and emulsifiers blends have been studied. The interfacial tension (γ) measurements at 30°C were used to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface active properties of these emulsifiers. The water droplet sizes were measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). From the obtained data, it was found that mean sizes between 19.3 and 39 nm were obtained depending on the water content and concentration of blend emulsifiers (SE). Also, the results show that the interfacial tension (γ) gives minimum value (10.85 mN/m) for SE comparing with individual emulsifier (17.13 and 12.77 mN/m) for Span 80 and Emarol 85, respectively. The visual inspection by transmission electron microscopy showed that the obtained results support the data obtained by dynamic light scattering.     

Effect of the Phospholipid Chain Length and Head Group on Beta‐Phase Formation of Poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene) Enclosed in Liposomes

We have studied the effect of head group and alkyl chain length on β‐phase formation in poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene) (PFO) solubilized in phospholipid liposomes. Systems studied have three different alkyl chain lengths (1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphatidylcholine [DMPC], 1,2‐didodecanoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphatidylcholine [DLPC], 1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphatidylcholine [DPPC]) and head groups (1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphate monosodium salt [DMPA], 1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine [DMPE] and 1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phospho‐l ‐serine sodium salt [DMPS]). Changes in liposome size upon addition of PFO are followed by dynamic light scattering. All the phospholipids induce the formation of PFO β‐phase, which is followed by the emission intensity and deconvolution of the absorption spectra. Both the head group and alkyl chain length affect the yield of β‐phase. The photophysics of PFO incorporated in liposomes is characterized by stationary and time‐resolved fluorescence, whereas the polymer‐phospholipid interactions have been studied by the effect of the PFO concentration on the phospholipid phase transitions (differential scanning calorimetry [DSC]).