[nanoPost] Nano-sized Self-assembled Liquid Structures

Company Israel

- Nano-sized vehicles that deliver compounds such as nutraceuticals and drugs. The vehicles are expanded micelles of about ~30 nanometers.

- In this The structure (or micelle) to be integrated in an aqueous (i.e. water) medium is made of molecules that have an hydrophilic ("loves" water) head and hydrophobic ("hates" water) tail. The most energy-efficient spatial arrangement of these molecules when surrounded by water is in a spherical shape to form these micelles as shown in the figure especially if oil exists within the system. When preparing the NSSLs together with the targeted molecule (i.e. the nutraceutical, drug etc.), and if this molecule prefers oil environment, then this molecule finds its way spontaneously into the micelle and only when the structure of the micelle is disturbed this molecule can finds its way out of the micelle. When the targeted molecule prefers an aqueous media then the formulation is such to generate a "reverse" micelle.

- The improved bioavailability is obtained via the ability of the micelles with the nutraceuticals (i.e the FNVs) to release the nutraceuticals into the membrane between the digestive system and the blood as is shown in the series of photos below. The FNV gets close to the membrane and an exchange of molecules between the FNV and the membrane occurs. The structure of the FNV (i.e. the micelle) is affected in a way that enables the release of the entrapped compound (the nutraceutical or drug) into the membrane and from there in the natural process of absorption into the blood. This mechanism depends of course on the ability of the entrapped compound to pass through the membrane. In the case of phytosterols for example, the membrane does not permit these molecules to pass as is shown in the model that describes the functionality of the phytosterols.