Deformable Nanovesicles Synthesized through an Adaptable Microfluidic Platform for Enhanced Localized Transdermal Drug Delivery

Table 1

Characteristics of FITC-loaded DNVs/NVs generated by the standard and modified methods. DNVs loaded with FITC were synthesized using a standard microfluidic method using a relatively fast aqueous flow rate (1000 μL/min) and slow organic flow rate (10 μL/min) and thus a FRR of 100. In the modified method, the aqueous pump rate was to 5000 μL/min and organic 1000 μL/min, for a resulting FRR of 5. Conventional (nondeformable) NVs were synthesized by the standard method. The resultant diameters by either method or type of NVs (deformable; nondeformable) were similar, with NVs at 196 ± 39 nm, DNVs by the standard method at 202 ± 17 nm, and DNVs by the modified method at 221 ± 41 nm. Zeta potentials were also similar with DNV standard > DNV modified > NV standard. Entrapment efficiency was greatly impacted by method for DNVs, with efficiency being much higher with the modified method for DNVs; entrapment efficiency was similar for modified-method DNVs and conventional NVs.

Nanovesicle (NV); type	DNVs synthesized by standard microfluidic method; (low IPA speed; high FRR)	DNVs synthesized by modified microfluidic method; (high speed; low FRR)	Conventional NVs
Characteristics
Size (diameter)	202 ± 17 nm	221 ± 40 nm	196 ± 39 nm
Zeta potential	46 ± 2.4 mV	41.7 ± 3.7 mV	38.1 ± 1.8 mV
Entrapment efficiency (FITC dye)	1.1%	39.6%	37.4%