Solid lipid nanoparticle and nanoparticle lipid carrier for controlled drug delivery – a review of state of art and recent advances

It is estimated that nearly 40% of new drug molecules are suffering from poor water solubility, insufficient bioavailability, fluctuating plasma levels or high food dependency. Major efforts have been spent for the development of customised drug carriers to overcome the disappointing in vivo fates of the drug. Both the SLN and NLC are attractive carriers for topical cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) introduced as an alternative carrier system to traditional colloidal carriers, such as emulsions, liposomes and polymeric micro- and nanoparticles. SLN combine advantages of the traditional systems but avoid some of their major disadvantages. This paper reviews the present state of the art regarding production techniques for SLN, drug incorporation, loading capacity and drug release, especially focusing on drug release mechanisms. The potential of SLN to be exploited for the different administration routes is highlighted and also reviews about SLN and NLC's stability, toxicity, pharmacokinetic profile, application and its future perspectives.