Biomimetic solid lipid nanoparticles of sophorolipid designed for anti-leprosy drugs.

The objective of the present work was to develop solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as drug encapsulating structures by solvent injection method. In this report, for the first time the inherent potential of lactonic sophorolipid (glycolipid) was exploited to formulate SLNs. A range of different Pluronic co-polymers were screened by dynamic and static light scattering with the aim of obtaining most stable SLNs. In order to comprehend the structure of the SLNs, techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed. A clear correlation between the type of Pluronic and size and stability of the SLN could be drawn. The vector properties of the formed SLNs were assessed for both the encapsulated hydrophobic drugs- rifampicin and dapsone. To elucidate the transport mechanism of drug release, kinetic modelling was carried out on the drug release profiles. The promising results of sophorolipid based SLNs has actually established a new arena beneath the significantly developed field of SLNs.