Title:Nanoformulations - Insights Towards Characterization Techniques
Volume: 23
Issue: 14
Author(s): Venkateshwaran Krishnaswami, Abimanyu Sugumaran, Venkatesan Perumal, Murugan Manavalan, Durga Prasad Kondeti, Shaik Kamil Basha, Mohammed Akmal Ahmed, Munish Kumar and Sivakumar Vijayaraghavalu*
Affiliation:
- Department of Life Sciences (Zoology), Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur, India
Keywords:
Nanocharacterization, nanomaterial, nanoparticles, EPR spectra, zeta potential, raman spectra.
Abstract:
Background: Drug-loaded novel nanoformulations are gaining importance due to their
versatile properties compared to conventional pharmaceutical formulations. Nanomaterials, apart
from their multifactorial benefits, have a wider scope in the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of
cancer. Understanding the chemistry of drug-loaded nano-formulations to elicit its behaviour both at
molecular and systemic levels is critical in the present scenario. Drug-loaded nanoformulations are
controlled by their size, shape, surface chemistry, and release behavior. The major pharmaceutical
drug loaded nanocarriers reported for anticancer drug delivery for the treatment of various forms of
cancers such as lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, etc include nanoparticles,
nanospheres, nanodispersions, nanocapsules, nanomicelles, cubosomes, nanoemulsions, liposomes
and niosomes. The major objectives in designing anticancer drug-loaded nanoformulations are to
manage the particle size/morphology correlating with the drug release to fulfil the specific objectives.
Hence, nano characterizations are very critical both at in vitro and in vivo levels.
Objective: The main objective of this review paper is to summarise the major characterization techniques
used for the characterization of drug-loaded nanoformulations. Even though information on
characterization techniques of various nano-formulations is available in the literature, it is scattered.
The proposed review will provide a comprehensive understanding of nanocharacterization techniques.
Conclusion: To conclude, the proposed review will provide insights towards the different nano
characterization techniques along with their recent updates, such as particle size, zeta potential, entrapment
efficiency, in vitro release studies (chromatographic HPLC, HPTLC, and LC-MS/MS
analysis), EPR analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermal analysis, rheometric, morphological
analysis etc. Additionally, the challenges encountered by the nano characterization techniques will
also be discussed.