Cisplatin-loaded SLN produced by coacervation technique

Coacervation technique, a solvent-free, feasible and versatile method, based on a phase transformation from soap micellar solution into fatty acid solid particles by acid addition, was used to prepare cisplatin loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) of stearic acid. Different polymers were tested to stabilise SLN suspensions. Solubilisation of cisplatin, a hydrophilic antitumor agent, within sodium stearate micelles was possible by the formation of a hydrophobic ion-pair with sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate. Several SLN were produced, whose particle size were in the 275–525 nm range. Cisplatin encapsulation efficiency up to 90 % was obtained, depending on both stearic acid concentration and stabilisers type and concentration. The in vitro cisplatin release showed a burst effect of about 10–20 %, corresponding to the non-encapsulated drug, and then a complete drug release was reached after 24 h.