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. 2021 Jul 28;13(8):1166.
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13081166.

Essential Oil-Loaded NLC for Potential Intranasal Administration

Angela Bonaccorso  1 , Cinzia Cimino  1 , Daniela Erminia Manno  2 , Barbara Tomasello  1 , Antonio Serra  2 , Teresa Musumeci  1 , Giovanni Puglisi  1 , Rosario Pignatello  1 , Claudia Carbone  1
Affiliations

Essential Oil-Loaded NLC for Potential Intranasal Administration

Angela Bonaccorso et al. Pharmaceutics. .

Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicines represent an interesting field of research on which worldwide academics are focusing many efforts. In particular, the possibility to exploit pharmaceutical technology strategies, such as the nanoencapsulation, for the delivery of essential oils is emerging as a promising strategy not only in Italy but also all over the world. The aim of this work was the development of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for the delivery of essential oils (Lavandula, Mentha, and Rosmarinus) by intranasal administration, an interesting topic in which Italian contributions have recently increased. Essential oil-loaded NLC, projected as a possible add-on strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, were characterized in comparison to control formulations prepared with Tegosoft CT and Neem oil. Homogeneous (polydispersity index, PDI < 0.2) nanoparticles with a small size (<200 nm) and good stability were obtained. Morphological and physical-chemical studies showed the formation of different structures depending on the nature of the liquid oil component. In particular, NLC prepared with Lavandula or Rosmarinus showed the formation of a more ordered structure with higher cytocompatibility on two cell lines, murine and human fibroblasts. Taken together, our preliminary results show that optimized positively charged NLC containing Lavandula or Rosmarinus can be proposed as a potential add-on strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases through intranasal administration, due to the well-known beneficial effects of essential oils and the mucoadhesive properties of NLC.

Keywords: Lavandula; Mentha; Rosmarinus; TEM; cell viability; mucoadhesion; nanomedicine; nose-to-brain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Mean particle size (Zave, nm) and (B) Zeta Potential (ZP) ± standard deviation (SD) of the prepared Lavandula NLC (L-NLC), Mentha NLC (M-NLC), Rosmarinus NLC (R-NLC), Tegosoft CT NLC (CT-NLC) and Neem NLC (N-NLC). * Significance for p < 0.05, comparison between EO-loaded NLC (L-NLC, M-NLC, and R-NLC) and the control NLC (CT-NLC and N-NLC).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Backscattering profiles (ΔBS) of CT-NLC (a), L-NLC (b), and N-NLC (c) stored in Turbiscan® for 30 days at a temperature of 25.0 ± 1.0 °C. Data are presented as a function of time (0–30 days) of sample height (0 to 20 mm) (the direction of analysis time is indicated by the arrow).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Raman spectra of L-NLC, CT-NLC, and N-NLC.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Raman spectra of NLC prepared with Lavandula (L-NLC), Tegosoft CT (CT-NLC), and Neem oil (N-NLC): region around 3000 cm−1.
Figure 5
Figure 5
XRD spectra of representative samples L-NLC, CT-NLC, and N-NLC.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of: CT-NLC (a,b); N-NLC (c,d); L-NLC (e,f).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Percentage of Lavandula and Rosmarinus EOs released from L-NLC and R-NLC, respectively, at different time intervals up to 48 h. Each value is the mean of six independent experiments. * Significance for p < 0.05.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Murine fibroblasts NIH-3T3 viability after 24 h treatment with different concentrations of Tegosoft CT NLC (CT-NLC), Lavandula NLC (L-NLC), Rosmarinus NLC (R-NLC), Mentha NLC (M-NLC), and Neem NLC (N-NLC). All values are mean ± SD of three experiments in triplicate.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Human fibroblasts HFF1 viability after 24 h treatment with different concentrations of Tegosoft CT NLC (CT-NLC), Lavandula NLC (L-NLC), Rosmarinus NLC (R-NLC), Mentha NLC (M-NLC), and Neem NLC (N-NLC). All values are mean ± SD of three experiments in triplicate. *** p < 0.001 vs. control.
Figure 10
Figure 10
In vitro assessment of mucin interactions with CT-NLC+, R-NLC+, and L-NLC+ by turbidimetric assay at 650 nm (A) and Zeta potential (ZP) modifications (B).
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