EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT AND MOLECULAR DOCKING: NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIERS (NLCs) OF COENZYME Q10 USING STEARIC ACID AND DIFFERENT LIQUID LIPIDS AS LIPID MATRIX

Objective: To develop coenzyme Q10 (co-Q10) nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) using stearic acid (SA) and various liquid lipids with different lipophilicity as well as highlights the use of in silico studies for predicting and elucidating the interaction of drug-lipid used as carries in NLCs, at the molecular level. Methods: The co-Q10 NLCs were prepared using SA as solid lipid and oleic acid (OA), isopropyl myristate (IPM), as well as isopropyl palmitate (IPP) as liquid lipids by the high shear homogenization method. Firstly, the formulas were optimized by the appropriate required HLB (rHLB). The optimized NLCs were characterized in the particle size, distribution of particle size, zeta potential, crystallinity behavior, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, morphology, entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading (DL), and pH value. The interaction of drug-lipids in silico was studied using the AutoDock Vina program. Results: The co-Q10 NLCs using SA and the various liquid lipid possessed the mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, EE, DL, and pH values were 180 to 350 nm,<0.5,<-30 mV, 83 to 88%, 10 to 11%, and 5.0 to 5.6, respectively. The EE and DL of co-Q10 NLCs increased with decreasing in binding energy (∆G) in silico. Conclusion: The co-Q10 NLCs using SA as solid lipid and OA, IPM, as well as IPP as liquid lipids were developed successfully. Furthermore, in silico study by molecular docking is a potential approach in predicting and elucidating the interaction of drug-lipid in the development of NLCs formulation