The publications of the members of the research group.
2025
Diego Caccavo; Raffaella De Piano; Luca Broegg; Anna Angela Barba; Gaetano Lamberti
Optimization of Nanoliposomes Production using a Coaxial Jet Mixer: a Response Surface Modeling Approach Journal Article
In: Chemical Engineering Transaction, vol. 118, 2025.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: liposome, liposomes, nanoliposome, nanoliposomes delivery systems
@article{Caccavo2025,
title = {Optimization of Nanoliposomes Production using a Coaxial Jet Mixer: a Response Surface Modeling Approach},
author = {Diego Caccavo and Raffaella {De Piano} and Luca Broegg and Anna Angela Barba and Gaetano Lamberti },
url = {https://www.cetjournal.it/cet/25/118/050.pdf},
doi = {10.3303/CET25118050},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-08-11},
urldate = {2025-08-11},
journal = {Chemical Engineering Transaction},
volume = {118},
abstract = {Liposomes are vesicular structures capable of encapsulating and delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients or other compounds. A thorough understanding of their physical properties is essential for optimizing their application potential. In this work, liposomes were produced using ethanol, with phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin processed via a coaxial jet mixer. The study investigated the effect of key operating parameters\textemdashethanol flow rate, water flow rate, and phosphatidylcholine concentration\textemdashon four experimental responses: Z-Average, Polydispersity Index (PDI), Main Intensity Peak Size, and Zeta Potential. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the experimental plan, minimizing the number of trials compared to a full factorial design. Measurements performed using a Zetasizer enabled the development of predictive models for the selected responses. Modeling results, based on a univariate analysis and a top-down approach, showed that within the explored parameter range, Z-Average was primarily influenced by the inner flow rate and phosphatidylcholine concentration. These parameters also significantly affected the Zeta Potential, while water flow rate had the least impact on the responses. To achieve smaller liposomes, the results indicate the need for low phosphatidylcholine concentrations combined with high inner flow rates.},
keywords = {liposome, liposomes, nanoliposome, nanoliposomes delivery systems},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Liposomes are vesicular structures capable of encapsulating and delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients or other compounds. A thorough understanding of their physical properties is essential for optimizing their application potential. In this work, liposomes were produced using ethanol, with phosphatidylcholine from soy lecithin processed via a coaxial jet mixer. The study investigated the effect of key operating parameters—ethanol flow rate, water flow rate, and phosphatidylcholine concentration—on four experimental responses: Z-Average, Polydispersity Index (PDI), Main Intensity Peak Size, and Zeta Potential. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the experimental plan, minimizing the number of trials compared to a full factorial design. Measurements performed using a Zetasizer enabled the development of predictive models for the selected responses. Modeling results, based on a univariate analysis and a top-down approach, showed that within the explored parameter range, Z-Average was primarily influenced by the inner flow rate and phosphatidylcholine concentration. These parameters also significantly affected the Zeta Potential, while water flow rate had the least impact on the responses. To achieve smaller liposomes, the results indicate the need for low phosphatidylcholine concentrations combined with high inner flow rates.
2020
Sabrina Bochicchio; Annalisa Dalmoro; Gaetano Lamberti; Anna Angela Barba
Advances in Nanoliposomes Production for Ferrous Sulfate Delivery Journal Article
In: Pharmaceutics, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 445, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: drug delivery, ferrous sulfate, nanoliposome, simil-microfluidic apparatus, sonication
@article{Bochicchio2020b,
title = {Advances in Nanoliposomes Production for Ferrous Sulfate Delivery},
author = {Sabrina Bochicchio and Annalisa Dalmoro and Gaetano Lamberti and Anna Angela Barba},
editor = {MDPI},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/12/5/445/pdf},
doi = {10.3390/pharmaceutics12050445},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-05-11},
journal = {Pharmaceutics},
volume = {12},
number = {5},
pages = {445},
abstract = {In this study, a continuous bench scale apparatus based on microfluidic fluid dynamic principles was used in the production of ferrous sulfate-nanoliposomes for pharmaceutical/nutraceutical applications, optimizing their formulation with respect to the products already present on the market. After an evaluation of its fluid dynamic nature, the simil-microfluidic (SMF) apparatus was first used to study the effects of the adopted process parameters on vesicles dimensional features by using ultrasonic energy to enhance liposomes homogenization. Subsequently, iron-nanoliposomes were produced at different weight ratios of ferrous sulfate to the total formulation components (0.06, 0.035, 0.02, and 0.01 w/w) achieving, by using the 0.01 w/w, vesicles of about 80 nm, with an encapsulation efficiency higher than 97%, an optimal short- and long-term stability, and an excellent bioavailability in Caco-2 cell line. Moreover, a comparison realized between the SMF method and two more conventional production techniques showed that by using the SMF setup the process time was drastically reduced, and the process yield increased, achieving a massive nanoliposomes production. Finally, duty-cycle sonication was detected to be a scalable technique for vesicles homogenization. },
keywords = {drug delivery, ferrous sulfate, nanoliposome, simil-microfluidic apparatus, sonication},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this study, a continuous bench scale apparatus based on microfluidic fluid dynamic principles was used in the production of ferrous sulfate-nanoliposomes for pharmaceutical/nutraceutical applications, optimizing their formulation with respect to the products already present on the market. After an evaluation of its fluid dynamic nature, the simil-microfluidic (SMF) apparatus was first used to study the effects of the adopted process parameters on vesicles dimensional features by using ultrasonic energy to enhance liposomes homogenization. Subsequently, iron-nanoliposomes were produced at different weight ratios of ferrous sulfate to the total formulation components (0.06, 0.035, 0.02, and 0.01 w/w) achieving, by using the 0.01 w/w, vesicles of about 80 nm, with an encapsulation efficiency higher than 97%, an optimal short- and long-term stability, and an excellent bioavailability in Caco-2 cell line. Moreover, a comparison realized between the SMF method and two more conventional production techniques showed that by using the SMF setup the process time was drastically reduced, and the process yield increased, achieving a massive nanoliposomes production. Finally, duty-cycle sonication was detected to be a scalable technique for vesicles homogenization.