We prepared a nanoemulsion system with benzyl alcohol/ ethanol/Solutol/smash^® HS 15 /water. Ketoprofen was used as a model drug in this study. The nanoemulsions of this system evidenced a high degree of stability. The droplet diameter did not change over a period of at least 3 months. The nanoemulsion containing 4% benzyl alcohol evidenced a permeation rate higher than was observed with the 1% and 2% nanoemulsions. Also the nanoemulsion containing 1% Solutol^® HS 15 provided a permeation rate higher than was seen with the 2% and 4% nanoemulsions. All ketoprofen-loaded nanoemulsions enhanced the in vitro permeation rate through mouse skins as compared to the control.

Phenolics from plant materials have garnered attention in nanomedicine research, due to their various medicinal properties. Caffeic acid, a phenolic compound that is abundant in coffee beans, has been proven to have anticancer effects, due to its reactive oxygen species (ROS)-inducing properties. Here, a supramolecular nanomedicine was designed using caffeic acid molecule and the synthetic anticancer drug bortezomib, via catechol–boronic acid conjugation and Fe(III) ion crosslinking. Bortezomib is a proteasome-inhibiting drug and its boronic acid functional group can bind to caffeic acid’s catechol moiety. By having a nanoparticle formulation that can deliver bortezomib via intracellular endocytosis, the catechol–boronic acid conjugation can be dissociated, which liberates the boronic acid functional group to bind to the 26S proteasome of the cell. The ROS-inducing property of caffeic acid also complements the bortezomib payload, as the latter suppresses the survival mechanism of the cell through NF-κB inhibition.