Solubilization of Hydrophobic Drugs in Cationic Glycerolipid Associates and Creation of Mesoporous Container Particles on These Bifunctional Templates

It has been shown that associates of cationic glycerolipid (CGL), rac-N-{4-[(2-ethoxy-3-octadecyloxyprop-1-yl)oxycarbonyl]butyl}-N'-methylimidazolium iodide, which has a pronounced antitumor effect, can be used for the solubilization of two hydrophobic biologically active compounds (curcumin and capsaicin) and as templates in the sol–gel synthesis of silica mesoporous container particles (MCPs). The thermodynamic characteristics of solubilization are determined, and it is shown that this process contributes to a significant increase in the solubility of both hydrophobic drugs in water. The hydrolytic condensation of tetraethoxysilane in the presence of CGL associates containing curcumin or capsaicin leads to the formation of MCPs characterized by a narrow size distribution and a high content of encapsulated drugs. This combination of the stages of the synthesis and loading of MCPs is of undoubted interest in relation to the nanoencapsulation of cationic glycerolipids (including in combination with other drugs).