Computational prediction of the stability of lipid emulsions in total nutrient admixtures.

The relationships between the stability of lipid emulsions in a number of parenteral total nutrient admixtures (TNAs) and their electrokinetic properties were examined. Previous studies have attempted to measure or calculate zeta potentials of lipid emulsions in nutrient admixtures to rationalize their stability behavior, but there has been no demonstration that zeta potentials do actually determine emulsion stability or that such computational approaches can be successful. The present study demonstrates that emulsion stability in a range of TNAs is dependent on the emulsion zeta potential and also that van der Waals forces, influenced by the presence of glucose, are important. By accounting for these factors we show that it is possible to calculate the stability of TNAs by Deryaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeck-based methods and obtain reasonable agreement with experimental stability data in most systems.