Production and characterization of Hesperetin nanosuspensions for dermal delivery.

Nanosuspensions of Hesperetin were produced using four different stabilizers, Poloxamer 188, Inutec SP1, Tween 80 and Plantacare 2000, possessing different mechanisms of stabilisation. The nanosuspensions were characterized with regard to size (photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), laser diffractometry (LD)) and charge (zeta potential measurements). A nanocrystal PCS size of about 300 nm was obtained after 30 homogenization cycles at 1500 bar with the stabilizers Poloxamer, Inutec and Plantacare. Tween was slightly less efficient to preserve the nanocrystal size directly after production (347 nm). The short-term stability was assessed by storage of the nanosuspensions at 4 degrees C, room temperature and 40 degrees C. As predicted from the zeta potential measurements, Inutec and Plantacare stabilized nanosuspensions were stable with no change in PCS diameter and LD diameter 99%. Slight increases in size were found for the Poloxamer and the Tween stabilized nanosuspensions, which is not considered to impair their use in dermal formulations.