Nanoemulsions have attracted great attention in research, dosage form design and pharmacotherapy. This is as a result of a number of attributes peculiar to nanoemulsions such as optical clarity, ease of preparation, thermodynamic stability and increased surface area. Nanoemulsions also known as submicron emulsions serve as vehicles for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as other bioactives. They are designed to address some of the problems associated with conventional drug delivery systems such as low bioavailability and noncompliance. The importance of design and development of emulsion nanocarrier systems aimed at controlling and/or improving required bioavailability levels of therapeutic agents cannot be overemphasized. Reducing droplet sizes to the nanoscale leads to some very interesting physical properties, such as optical transparency and unusual elastic behaviour. This review sheds light on the current state of nanoemulsions in the delivery of drugs and other bioactives. The morphology, formulation, characteristics and characterization of nanoemulsions were also addressed
Avocado starch was extracted from the kernels of the fruit Persea americana Miller (Fam. Lauraceae) and evaluated for its potential as an alternative to maize starch as a pharmaceutical excipient. Its physicochemical and thermal properties were evaluated and compared with those of maize starch. Granules prepared with avocado and maize starch pastes as binder were evaluated for their flow, friability and compaction characteristics. The average yield of starch extracted from the fresh kernels of P. americana was 20.5 AE 0.55% w/w. The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) showed that avocado starch has two characteristic granule shapes; triangular and circular both having an approximate equal distribution. The triangular shaped granules are larger (28 to 32 mm) than the circular (6 to 9 mm). The foaming capacity of avocado starch was 19.05 AE 0.6%, its swelling, moisture uptake and paste clarity were generally lower than that of the maize starch. Avocado starch gel exhibited an extent of syneresis after freeze-thaw that increased cumulatively with increase in number of freezethaw cycles. The glass transition (T g ) and gelatinisation temperatures for avocado starch were higher than that of maize starch. The melting temperatures (T m ), ash value, as well as the various densities of avocado starch showed similarities with those of maize starch. The granules prepared with avocado starch pastes as binder showed superior compactibility and mechanical strength to those of maize starch but with similar flow characteristics. Avocado starch generally showed distinct physicochemical and binder properties with some similarities to the standard maize starch.
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