How Sorbitan Monostearate Can Increase Drug-Loading Capacity of Lipid-Core Polymeric Nanocapsules.

Abstract Lipid-core polymeric nanocapsules are innovative devices that present distinguished characteristics due to the presence of sorbitan monostearate into the oily-core. This component acted as low-molecular-mass organic gelator for the oil (medium chain triglycerides). The organogel-structured core influenced the polymeric wall characteristics disfavoring the formation of more stable polymer crystallites. This probably occurred due to interpenetration of these pseudo-phases. Sorbitan monostearate dispersed in the oily-core was also able to interact by non-covalent bonding with the drugs increasing the drug loading capacity more than 40 times compared to conventional nanocapsules. We demonstrated that the drug-models quercetin and quercetin pentaacetate stabilized the organogel network probably due to interactions of the drug molecules with the sorbitan monostearate headgroups by hydrogen bonding.