Abstract

COLLOIDAL TECHNOLOGY-AN APPROACH FOR ENHANCING BIOAVAILABILITY OF POORLY WATER-SOLUBLE DRUGS: A REVIEW

Akila R. M. and Nithin M. K.*

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Abstract

The chemical environment and enzymes present in the gastrointestinal (GI) membrane limits the oral absorption of water-soluble drugs. The GI epithelium is also responsible for the poor permeability of numerous antioxidant agents. Thus, water-soluble drugs do not readily dissolve in the GI tract, and therefore they have low bioavailability. Colloidal technology has the potential to improve the target efficiency of oral drugs. The use of lipid nanocarriers for poorly water-soluble drugs administered orally can provide improved solubility, chemical stability, epithelium permeability, improved bioavailability, half-life, and fewer adverse effects. These lipid nanocarriers include liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), dendrimers, polymeric nanomicelles (PMs), self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS), β-cyclodextrin complexes. The use of nontoxic excipients and advanced material engineering of lipid nanocarriers allows for control of the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles and improved GI permeation through mucosal or lymphatic transport. Furthermore, we highlight recent progress in developing lipid nanocarriers to improve oral bioavailability, increase solubility, and inhibit P-glycoprotein efflux. We also discuss the mechanisms of various colloidal technologies that are used to develop an orally administered drug.

Keywords: Oral absorption, Water-soluble drugs, Improved solubility, Colloidal technology, Lipid nanocarriers, Oral bioavailability,