Conclusion
The present study provides an excellent drug delivery carrier, BO-SLN/CM, having the application potential of targeting to the brain and permeating to the blood-brain barrier.
Methods
Borneol, a simple bicyclic monoterpene extracted from Dryobalanops aromatica, can direct drugs to the upper body parts according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Dioleoyl phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) was chemically modified by borneol as one of the lipid materials of solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) in the present study.
Results
The borneol-modified chemically solid lipid nanoparticle (BO-SLN/CM), borneol-modified physically solid lipid nanoparticle (BO-SLN/PM), and SLN have similar diameter (of about 87 nm) and morphological characteristics. However, BO-SLN/CM has a lower cytotoxicity, higher cell uptake, and better blood-brain barrier permeability compared with BO-SLN/PM and SLN. BO-SLN/CM has a remarkable targeting function to the brain, while BO-SLN/ PM and SLNs are concentrated at the lung.