The key strength of the NUENEX technology is the possibility of active molecule loading. NUENEX is compatible with a broad range of active molecules with application in industrial, cosmetic, food, feed and medical products.
- Natural molecules and extracts – natural molecules and extracts find their application in natural medicine, cosmetics, foods and feed applications. Natural extracts are rich in molecules susceptible to oxidation, thermal stress and photodegradation, such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory molecules, vitamins, enzymes and polymeric molecules. Upon their processing, storage, or use their efficacy could be substantially decreased due to oxidation, thermal shock or UV degradation. The NUENEX technology enables the encapsulation of such molecules to polymeric matrices, which increases their stability and prevents them from damage.
- Salts and inorganic nutrients – the nanofibers can be enriched by salts and/or their chelates to prepare highly mineralized matrices. The encapsulation of such molecules can increase their dissolution rate, protect them from moisture uptake, mask unpleasant taste or regulate their release and availability. The applications are especially viable in the area of cosmetics, food and feed products and next generation soil fertilizers.
- Vitamins and dietary molecules – vitamins and dietary molecules are often sensitive to environmental or biological degradation. In addition – from a chemical perspective – they are often connected with solubility and bioavailability issues. NUENEX enables efficient nanoencapsulation of vitamins and dietary molecules and regulates their bioavailability for cosmetic, food/feed and biomedical products.
- Small hydrophobic molecules and drugs – small hydrophobic molecules and drugs often have problems with low aqueous solubility. Nanoencapsulation in nanofibers from PVP, PEG or cellulose derivatives combined with unique emulsion technology using the NUENEX technology enables the increase of their solubility. The spinning of molecules into nanofibers creates solid dispersions with decreased crystallinity – this emulsion spinning technology enables the combining of suitable excipients without the risk of phase separation upon storage. The technology is suitable for a broad range of drugs including antibiotics, antivirotics, anti-inflammatories, analgesics and cytostatics. The application is especially for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, but could be utilized for any small hydrophobic molecule in other industries (i.e. food, cosmetics).
- Small hydrophilic molecules and drugs – in case of small hydrophilic molecules the solubility is often not an issue. NUENEX is tackling the key problem with small hydrophilic molecules – their rapid solubilization, which poses a problem for a possible long term release. Thanks to emulsification, NUENEX produced formulations have core/shell structure enabling barrier-based control of release on the nanometer level. The simultaneous possibility to form homogeneous solid dispersions with a barrier-controlled release mechanism increases the release profile reproducibility and helps to solve complex formulation challenges. The primary application is in medical device and pharmaceutical industries. However, the technology can be also usedacross various industries for a time-regulated release of curing agents and other quickly dissolving molecules.
- Proteins and peptides – protein based active molecules are in the center of innovation of pharmaceutical, medical device, nutraceutical and cosmetic industry. When it comes to enzymes, hormones, growth factors, immunotherapeutics, vaccines, antimicrobials or cosmetological peptides their stability and long-term function is a huge formulation challenge. Thanks to emulsion process NUENEX enables secure encapsulation of molecules innanofibers and protects them from environmental or enzymatic degradation. NUENEX is a non-thermal method resulting in rapid removal of solvents resulting in a mild formation of solid dispersion. The selection of proper polymers enables a set release of active molecules in desired time, their triggered release or immobilization, which increases their practical value.
- Probiotics – probiotics (bacterial or fungal spores) are gaining popularity in a range of products in smart agriculture, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries. NUENEX enables mild and efficient encapsulation of probiotics. Primarily, mild encapsulation at room temperature protects probiotics from damage and loss of activity. In addition, the selection of active molecules enables additional functions such as regulated release, pH triggered release or taste masking.
- Liposomes and soft nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems – liposomes, polymerosomes, solid-lipid particles and other soft-nanoparticle systems are very popular for the delivery of active molecules. Thanks to their size and chemistry they enable the delivery of active molecules to the right place, timing of release, penetration through barriers or triggered release. However, the systems are suffering from numerous practical disadvantages, such as low stability, limited loading rates and agglomeration. NUENEX is an ideal solution to these problems. Thanks to rapid encapsulation, drying and immobilization in a polymeric matrix, the soft nanoparticle-based systems are stabilized during storage at room temperatureand freely released without agglomeration upon dissolution. NUENEX unlocks new application modes for these systems especially in the fields of cosmetics, food, feed and biomedicals.
- Inorganic nanoparticles – inorganic nanoparticles, such as carbon-based particles (i.e., nanotubes, graphene, fullerenes), metal oxides (i.e., TiO2, ZnO), metallic nanoparticles (i.e., Ag, Cu nanoparticles) or complex inorganic nanoparticles (i.e., quantum dots) find their use across a wide spectrum of applications. They are used for catalysis, selective adsorption/desorption, mechanical reinforcement, sensing, batteries, antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility. NUENEX enables the encapsulation of nanoparticles using dispersion encapsulation. The technology enables highly efficient loadings of up to 60 wt% of inorganic components. The modified hybrid inorganic/organic nanofibers are intended for biomedical and industrial use.
- Industrial functional molecules – besides inorganic additives the NUENEX technology can be used for the development of nanofibers with other industrially relevant molecules. For instance, the combination of a shear-triggered polymeric part and lubricants is used for the formation of high-performance lubrication systems.