Specific anatomical, physiological and histological characteristics of the nasal cavity provide a lot of advantages of nasal drug delivery, comparing with the oral or parenteral application. Nasal delivery can provide fast local action with lower doses of drugs as well as a direct delivery to the brain and a systemic activity of drugs with poor oral bioavailability. To overcome barriers for nasal absorption, but also to enhance stability, bioavailability and efficacy of the drug, new drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles are being developed. The aim of this work was to develop lipid/alginate nanoparticles of desirable size, surface characteristics and biocompatibility, appropriate for encapsulation and nasal delivery of lipophilic drugs, employing ionic gelation method. In the preparation of the lipid/alginate nanoparticles, apart from sodium alginate, lecithin S45 and cationic lipid dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) were used. Properties of the developed nanoparticles depended on the cationic lipid-to-lecithin weight ratio. In the preparation of lipid nanoparticles, a cationic lipid-to-lecithin weight ratio higher than 3:50 resulted in positively charged nanoparticles. The polydispersity index was decreased by adding DDAB. The lipid/alginate nanoparticles were negatively charged, while nanoparticles prepared with cationic lipid-to-lecithin weight ratio higher than 3:50 were characterized by zeta-potential that ensures physical stability of nanoparticle suspensions (less than -30 mV). A significant enhancement in the size of lipid/alginate nanoparticles, in comparison with the lipid nanoparticles, was noticed at the same weight ratios. Increase in sodium alginate concentration above 200 μg/ml in aqueous solution used in the preparation of lipid/alginate nanoparticles did not influence properties of the prepared nanoparticles. Nanoparticles with the greatest potential for development of a drug delivery system for nasal application are nanoparticles with cationic lipid-to-lecithin weight ratio of 5:50, 7:50, 8:50 and 9:50; the weight ratio of lecithin and alginate was 10:1. Lipid/alginate nanoparticle suspensions in the tested concentrations (50-400 μg/ml) did not influence the viability of Caco-2 cells. Loratadine was successfully incorporated into the selected nanoparticles gaining the nanoparticle physiochemical properties as follows: mean diameter from 213.5 to 234.1 nm; polydispersity index from 0.21 to 0.29; zeta potential from -25.1 to -36.4 mV; entrapment efficacy of loratadine from 14.1 to 17.9%. The highest entrapment efficacy was achieved for nanoparticles with the lowest cationic lipid-to-lecithin weight ratio (5:50, w/w).