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Abstract
Aims: In the present investigation, the feasibility of fabricating novel self-assembled cationic nanocarriers (LeciPlex) containing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and soybean lecithin using pharmaceutically acceptable biocompatible solvents such as 2-Pyrrolidone (Soluphor P®) and diethyleneglycol monoethyl ether (Transcutol®) was established. Materials & Methods: The interaction between DDAB/CTAB and soybean lecithin in the nanocarriers was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and in vitro antimicrobial studies. The positive charge on the nanocarriers was confirmed by zeta potential analysis. Results: Transmission electron microscopy analysis could not reveal sufficient information regarding the internal structure of the nanocarriers, whereas cryotransmission electron microscopy studies indicated that these novel nanocarriers have unilamellar structure. Small-angle neutron scattering studies confirmed interaction of cationic surfactant (DDAB) and lecithin in the nanocarriers and confirmed the presence of unilamellar nanostructures. Conclusion: Various hydrophobic drugs could be encapsulated in the CTAB/DDAB-based lecithin nanocarriers (CTAB–LeciPlex or DDAB–LeciPlex) irrespective of their difference in log p-values. In vitro antimicrobial studies on triclosan-loaded LeciPlex confirmed entrapment of triclosan in the nanocarriers. The ability of CTAB–LeciPlex and DDAB–LeciPlex to condense plasmid DNA was established using agarose gel electrophoresis. DDAB–LeciPlex could successfully transfect pDNA in HEK-293 cells indicating potential in gene delivery.
Original submitted: 20/8/2010; Revised submitted: 14/12/2010
Financial & competing interests disclosure
This work was supported, in part, by a research grant from Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India (Project No: 58/21/2002-BMS). AA Date is thankful to Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi for providing Senior Research Fellowship. The authors are thankful to Lipoid GmBH, Germany, for providing gift sample of various lecithins. The authors would also like to thank Gattefosse India Ltd., BASF India Ltd., Anshul Agencies Pvt. Ltd., USV Ltd., Colgate Pamolive India Ltd., and Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for providing gift samples of biocompatible solvents and drugs. An Indian patent has been applied for LeciPlex. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Ethical conduct of research
The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.