Synthesis of cubic phase nanoparticles using a peristaltic pump: comparing particle size and concentration

Cubosomes are bicontinuous cubic phase liquid crystals, made with some amphiphilic lipids, that give potential to this nanoparticle to drug delivery, such as thermodynamic stability, bioadhesion, the ability of encapsulating amphiphilic substances, and the potential for controlled release through functionalization. This work main to study the homemade peristaltic pump application on cubosomes syntheses, comparing with the same process without this pump, to verify if this device induces significant differences in the size of the nanoparticle and in its concentration. This cubosomes are derived from phytantriol-Pluronic®F127 assemblies, encapsulating amphiphilic drugs as Lysozyme and Curcumin, all the samples in a concentration of 0.05%m/v (besides blank). The peristaltic pump is used in the final step of this syntheses, to make the pipetting process as agile as possible. The previous results obtained from DLS and NTA show that are no significant differences in the size and concentration when this device is used (249 ± 4 nm and 0,8x10^12 ± 8,8x10^10 particles/ml with the pump; 267 ± 2 nm and 7,7x10^12 ± 1,7x10^12 particles/ml without the pump) indicating that this is a good laboratorial resource. Another characterization techniques such as SAXS and Cryo-TEM will help to understand the internal structure of this nanoparticles, and if this pump used induces changes on them.