The encapsulation of bicyclic monoterpene α-pinene into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) is reported using experimental factorial design, followed by high-end dispersion analyzer LUMiSizer®. This equipment allows the characterization of the α-pinene-loaded SLN instability phenomena (e.g., sedimentation, flotation or coagulation), as well as the determination of the velocity distribution in the centrifugal field and the particle size distribution. In this work, SLN were produced by hot high-pressure homogenization technique. The influence of the independent variables, surfactant and lipid ratio on the physicochemical properties of SLN, such as mean particle size (Z-Ave), polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential (ZP), was estimated using a 22-factorial design. The Z-Ave and PDI were analyzed by dynamic light scattering, while ZP measurements were recorded by electrophoretic light scattering. Based on the obtained results, the optimal SLN dispersion was composed of 1 wt.% of α-pinene, 4 wt.% of solid lipid (Imwitor® 900 K) and 2.5 wt.% of surfactant (Poloxamer 188), depicting 136.7 nm of Z-Ave, 0.170 of PDI and 0 mV of ZP. Furthermore, LUMISizer® has been successfully used in the stability analysis of α-pinene-loaded SLN.
Keywords: dispersion analyzer; factorial design; instability phenomena; optimization; solid lipid nanoparticles; α-pinene.