Setting Precise Temperature for Triggered Release from Nanostructured Lipid Carriers

The preparation and use of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as drug delivery system is constantly growing. NLCs are prepared from synthetic or natural lipids with known, but not controlled, melting point. Here we propose the preparation of NLCs combining natural lipids to have selected melting temperature. Vegetable butters were subjected to gas chromatography to determine and define each constituent and melting point. Three different NLCs suspensions were prepared from a specific blend of vegetable butters, adjusted to start melting at 29, 37 or 42°C, and characterized. Precise engineering of the delivery system will contribute to efficient temperature triggered release.