Ampicillin-loaded liposomes and nanoparticles: comparison of drug loading, drug release and in vitro antimicrobial activity.

In this paper, we report the physico-chemical properties of negatively charged liposomes and of polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles loaded with ampicillin. Although the carriers were of the same size (200 nm), drug-loading capacity was 20 times higher for nanoparticles than for liposomes. After freeze-drying or storage at +4 degrees C, no drug escaped from polymeric nanoparticles. On the other hand, in the same conditions, ampicillin leaked rapidly from liposomes. Drug release in foetal calf serum was gradual (of zero order) with nanoparticles, whereas it was rapid with liposomes. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of ampicillin-entrapped liposomes or nanoparticles was studied in vitro.