659b Nanoencapusulation Using Water-in-Supercritical CO2 Microemulsion Technology

Yuichiro Otsuji, Masahiro Ikeda, Chihiro Fushimi, and Atsushi Tsutsumi. Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguroku, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan

A novel technique for the nanoparticle production and nanoencapsulation of hydrophilic pharmaceutical are investigated using the rapid expansion of water-in-supercritical CO2 microemulsion in which coating material is dissolved in the supercritical CO2 phase. The aqueous cores of micellar droplets filled up with highly water-soluble drug are formed and dispersed in the supercritical CO2 to form the inverse microemulsion system.

In the last research, the synthetic surfactant was used as a stabilizer of the microemulsion system. However, considering the materials for drug delivery applications, it should be replaced with the natural surfactant. In this research, bio-surfactant is applied to form the microemulsion system. Bio-surfactant applications are promising due to their biodegradability, low toxicity and effectiveness in enhancing biodegradation.

The rapid expansion of the supercritical microemulsion into the atmosphere is carried out for the encapsulaton of nanoparticles. The morphology of particle samples is examined by the SEM observation with EDS analysis. The experimental results suggest that the rapid expansion of water-in-supercritical CO2 microemulsion is a promising method for encapsulation.