Investigation on the viscoelastic properties of lipid based colloidal drugcarriers

The rheological behaviour of solid lipid nanoparticle dispersions (SLN) pre pared by high pressure homogenization was investigated using a Haake RS-100 rheometer. Four preparations differing in their lipid content and macrosco pic consistency were tested by continuous shear rheometry and oscillatory t esting. Rheological data from continuous shear measurement reveal plastic f low for systems with low lipid content as well as for systems with high lip id content. By using oscillatory testing more detailed information concerni ng the structure could be achieved. Rheological measurements of 40% lipid d ispersions show viscoelastic properties comparable to the data from standar d dermal preparations. Therefore high concentrated lipid dispersions might constitute a promising vehicle for topical administration. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.