- HNOVA™ liposomes are 50 nm to under 200 nm.
- Under 200 nm keeps liquids clear, stable and sterile-filterable.
- Size is measured by DLS alongside PDI (uniformity) and zeta potential (stability).
- Ask for batch-specific values and the method used.
Why particle size matters
Particle size shapes almost everything about how a liposomal ingredient behaves:
- Stability. Small, uniform vesicles resist settling and aggregation, so a liquid stays clear and consistent on the shelf.
- Filterability. Vesicles well under 200 nm can pass a 0.2 µm sterile filter, which is a practical reason nano-liposomes are favoured for liquids.
- Appearance. Smaller vesicles scatter less light, so dispersions look clearer.
- Interaction with the body. Size influences how vesicles behave in the gut and how they are taken up; nanometre-scale vesicles are designed to make better use of these pathways.
How small is 50–200 nm?
Glucose molecule
A single small sugar molecule. Water-soluble actives such as vitamin C are similarly tiny — far smaller than any carrier.
Phospholipid bilayer
The wall of a liposome is only two molecules thick — about 5 nm — even though the vesicle it forms is 10 to 40 times wider.
Albumin protein
A common blood protein. Proteins are typically a few to tens of nanometres across.
HNOVA™ nano-liposome
Uniform plant-based phosphatidylcholine vesicles: large enough to carry a payload, small enough to stay dispersed in liquids and pass a sterile filter.
Influenza virus
About the same size as an HNOVA™ liposome — a useful mental picture of how small 'nano' really is.
Bacterium (E. coli)
A rod-shaped cell many times larger than a nano-liposome. Nano-liposomes are dwarfed by even the smallest living cells.
Red blood cell
A human red blood cell is around 70 times wider than a 100 nm liposome.
Human hair
A single hair is roughly 700 times wider than a 100 nm liposome.
The HNOVA™ range: 50 nm to under 200 nm
HNOVA™ liposomes are engineered into the 50 nm to under 200 nm band — small enough to remain dispersed and filterable, large enough to carry a useful payload. Exact size and distribution are confirmed per active and per batch and reported on the Certificate of Analysis.
How size and stability are measured
Size is usually measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS), which reports an average hydrodynamic diameter and the polydispersity index. Zeta potential is measured on the same instrument. Electron microscopy can confirm shape.
| Parameter | What it tells you | Common reading |
|---|---|---|
| Particle size | Average vesicle diameter (DLS, nm) | Nano-liposomes are typically under 200 nm; HNOVA™ targets 50 to under 200 nm |
| PDI | How uniform the sizes are (0–1) | Lower is more uniform; values below about 0.3 are commonly regarded as acceptable for lipid carriers, below 0.2 as narrow |
| Zeta potential | Surface charge (mV) | Magnitudes above about 30 mV are a common rule of thumb for stable dispersions, though it depends on the system |
| Encapsulation efficiency | Share of the active inside the vesicles (%) | Higher is better; confirmed per active and per batch |
How to read a CoA
When you receive a Certificate of Analysis for a liposomal ingredient, check that it reports the method as well as the numbers, that size is given as both average and PDI, and that results are batch-specific rather than typical values. See what our CoA covers.
