The production and characteristics of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs).

Modified high shear homogenization and ultrasound techniques were employed to produce solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). Model drug mifepristone had been incorporated in SLNs. The mean particle size measured by laser diffractometry (LD) was found to be 106 nm with a narrow particle distribution of polydispersity index, 0.278. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction measurements suggested that the majority of the SLNs were less ordered arrangement of crystals, and this was favorable for increasing the drug loading capacity. The drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) of SLNs was more than 87 percent and showed relatively long-term physical stability as the leakage was very small after being stored for one month. Therefore, seemed this modified method could prepare high quality SLNs loading lipophilic drugs. It is a simple, available and effective method to produce SLNs. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd.