Nanoformulations: Clinoptilolite-Based Capsule with Lecithin Shell

ABSTRACT

Microporous materials can provide interesting tools for different goals from bioimaging to the delivery ofbioactive molecules. In this study, the procedure based on cryo-approaches was designed to formulate thenanoparticles of natural clinoptilolite from the Zeolites mineral family. Applying scanning electron microscopy,clinoptilolite samples were imaged. After aging in the ethanol solution of phosphatidylcholine (lecithin),nanoparticles were encapsulated in the lecithin envelope. The adsorption of lecithin by clinoptilolitenanoparticles was studied by registering the diminution of optical density (OD 235) for ethanol/lecithin solutionat 235 nm with UV spectrometry. The kinetics of lecithin/clinoptilolite complex development was shown toexhibit intricate behavior, when the adsorption of lecithin was followed with its gradual release resulting in theincrease of lecithin content in ethanol solution back toward the original level. The size distribution for thelecithin/clinoptilolite complex was determined with a dynamic light scattering technique. To our knowledge,there are no reports of natural clinoptilolite-based platforms that were used as the for a nanosized capsule withphospholipids shell.