Aqueous-core lipid nanocapsules for encapsulating fragile hydrophilic and/or lipophilic molecules.

This paper presents the original method of producing aqueous-core lipid nanocapsule, able to encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic species with relevant yields. The scope offered by the integration of both hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules within the same colloidal objects make this method a prime candidate for the numerous anticancer therapies for which chemotherapy frequently requires the association of several molecules. The proof of concept study is proposed here (i) describing in detail the formulation of such objects and their characterization (TEM, cryo-TEM, soft particle analysis), (ii) showing the encapsulation of hydrophilic species alone, using examples of very different molecular weights, such as a dye (methylene blue) and a protein (BSA-isothycianate fluorecein labeled), and (iii) showing the simultaneous encapsulation of hydrophilic (methylene blue) and lipophilic (also a dye, red Sudan III) species.