Avocado Seed Oil-Based Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: Formulation and Stability
Bella Amelia, Nimatul Izza*

Bioprocess Engineering Study Program- Faculty of Agricultural Technology - Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia

*Email: izza_nimatul[at]ub.ac.id

Abstract

Avocado seed oil contains a high proportion of free fatty acids, predominantly oleic acid, yet its potential for functional applications has not been fully explored. This study investigates the incorporation of avocado seed oil into a lipid-based drug delivery system known as Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC), using avocado seed oil as the liquid lipid and cetyl palmitate as the solid lipid. NLC dispersions were prepared in varying ratios of liquid to solid lipid using the hot homogenization and sonication method, with Tween 80 as a surfactant. Avocado seed oil was extracted via Soxhlet method with n-hexane as the solvent. Characterization of the dispersions included particle size and polydispersity analysis using a particle size analyzer, morphological evaluation through field emission scanning electron microscopy, and physical stability assessment using creaming index and centrifugation tests. The formulation with equal proportions of liquid and solid lipid produced nanoparticles of small size and uniform distribution. Morphological analysis showed that the pure liquid lipid formulation produced spherical particles with even distribution, whereas combinations of liquid and solid lipids displayed mixed or biphasic structures. In terms of stability, the formulation containing a higher proportion of solid lipid demonstrated the best performance, with minimal phase separation and high dispersion stability over time. The results indicate that blending avocado seed oil with solid lipid in an NLC system can enhance both physical stability and desirable particle characteristics, making it a promising approach for developing lipid-based delivery systems that utilize underexplored natural lipid sources.

Keywords: Avocado Seed Oil- Cetyl Palmitate- Lipid-Based Delivery- Nanostructured Lipid Carrier- Stability

Topic: Waste and environmental management and engineering