Nanocapsules: An Emerging Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Background: Controlled drug release and site-specific delivery of drugs make nanocapsules the most approbative drug delivery system for various kinds of drugs, bioactive, protein, and peptide compounds. Nanocapsules (NCs) are spherical shape microscopic shells consisting of a core (solid or liquid) in which the drug is positioned in a cavity enclosed by a distinctive polymeric membrane.

Objectives: The main objective of the present patent study is to elaborate on various formulation techniques and methods of nanocapsules (NCs). The review also spotlights various biomedical applications as well as on the patents of NCs to date.

Methods: The review was extracted from the searches performed using various search engines such as PubMed, Google Patents, Medline, Google Scholars, etc. In order to emphasize the importance of NCs, some published patents of NCs have also been reported in the review.

Results: NCs are tiny magical shells having incredible reproducibility. Various techniques can be used to formulate NCs. The pharmaceutical performance of the formulated NCs can be judged by evaluating their shape, size, entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, etc., using different analytical techniques. Their main applications are found in the field of agrochemicals, genetic manipulation, cosmetics, hygiene items, strategic distribution of drugs to tumors, nanocapsule bandages to combat infection, and radiotherapy.

Conclusion: In the present review, our team made a deliberate effort to summarize the recent advances in the field of NCs and focus on new patents related to the implementation of NCs delivery systems in the area of some life-threatening disorders like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: Nanocapsules; amphiphilic polymer; biodegradable polymer; characterization; drug delivery system; nanoparticles.