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. 2020 Jun 29;12(7):604. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12070604

Table 2.

Advantages and disadvantages of each protein nanoparticle generation methods.

Method Advantage Disadvantage
Emulsion/solvent extraction High stability
The shape and size of nanoparticles can be controlled by reaction conditions
High encapsulation efficiency
Generating particles larger than those obtained by desolvation
Thermodynamic instability → Need surfactants and stabilizers
Polyelectrolyte complexation/complex coacervation method High stability
Small nanoparticles
Can be mixed with sensitive drugs (protein or peptide)
The shape and size of nanoparticles can be controlled by reaction conditions
Difficulty of scale-up
Electrospray technique High stability
Small nanoparticles
Scalable at industry-level and already in use
Low flow
This technique may induce some macromolecule degradation due to the stress involved in the operation parameters (e.g. Thermal stress in drying, shear stress in the nozzle).
Nano spray drying Control of particle size, shape, and morphology
One-step semi-continuous process
Processing of heat-sensitive substances with low risk of degradation
Cost-effective
Limited to small-scale production
Challenging to incorporate hydrophobic drugs
Desolvation method High stability
Simple to manufacture
Small nanoparticles
High encapsulation efficiency
The shape and size of nanoparticles can be controlled by reaction conditions.
Only possible for proteins that can be minimally affected by the de-soluble process itself or diluted by transporter proteins
Self-assembly High encapsulation efficiency
Small nanoparticles
High stability
Difficult to control the size and shape of nanoparticles.
Protein strain potential exists