Encapsulation Technologies Draft

“Encapsulation technologies are beneficial to extend the shelf life of the product, reduce evaporation and degradation, prevent intermolecular interaction, improve sensory characteristics, control the release of bioactive compounds and enhance the bioavailability of active compounds

Product encapsulation can be achieved with spray-drying, extrusion, co-crystallisation, emulsions and liposomes, etc.

Emulsions

Emulsion systems are used widely in foods, cosmetics, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals for the preparation of drugs and drug delivery systems. An emulsion is a fine dispersion of small droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible. Oil-in-water emulsions consist of emulsified oil droplets in an aqueous bulk phase, while water-in-oil emulsions consist of emulsified water droplets in an oily bulk phase. Double emulsions are simply defined as an emulsion in an emulsion, where two liquids are separated by a third liquid which is not miscible with the first two liquids.  

At Afrigen we manufacture stable nanoemulsions consisting of biocompatible and metabolizable components to be used as advanced delivery system for vaccines, nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. Our nanoemulsions are stable for long periods of time due to their homogeneity and small size (20-500nm).

Liposomes

A liposome is a nano-sized spherical-shaped vesicle that is composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers, and an aqueous core. Liposomes are thus useful for encapsulated both hydrophilic and hydrophobic active substances. Due to the similarity between the liposomes naturally derived phospholipids and the composition of cell membranes, liposomes are ideal drug delivery vehicles and are known to improve the bioavailability of drugs.”