Formulation and biopharmaceutical evaluation of supersaturatable self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems containing silymarin

Antiretroviral action of Rosemary oil-based atazanavir formulation and the role of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system in the management of HIV-1 infection

Atazanavir or ATV is an FDA-approved, HIV-1 protease inhibitor that belongs to the azapeptide group. Over time, it has been observed that ATV can cause multiple adverse side effects in the form of liver diseases including elevations in serum aminotransferase, indirect hyper-bilirubinemia, and idiosyncratic acute liver injury aggravating the underlying chronic viral hepatitis. Hence, there is an incessant need to explore the safe and efficacious method of delivering ATV in a controlled manner that may reduce the proportion of its idiosyncratic reactions in patients who are on antiretroviral therapy for years. In this study, we assessed ATV formulation along with Rosemary oil to enhance the anti-HIV-1 activity and its controlled delivery through self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system or SNEDDS to enhance its oral bioavailability. While the designing, development, and characterization of ATV-SNEDDS were addressed through various evaluation parameters and pharmacokinetic-based studies, in vitro cell-based experiments assured the safety and efficacy of the designed ATV formulation. The study discovered the potential of ATV-SNEDDS to inhibit HIV-1 infection at a lower concentration as compared to its pure counterpart. Simultaneously, we could also demonstrate the ATV and Rosemary oil providing leads for designing and developing such formulations for the management of HIV-1 infections with the alleviation in the risk of adverse reactions.

Lipid-based systems with precipitation inhibitors as formulation approach to improve the drug bioavailability and/or lower its dose: a review

Lipid-based systems, such as self-microemulsifying systems (SMEDDS) are attracting strong attention as a formulation approach to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. By applying the "spring and parachute" strategy in designing supersaturable SMEDDS, it is possible to maintain the drug in the supersaturated state long enough to allow absorption of the complete dose, thus improving the drug's bio-availability. As such an approach allows the incorporation of larger amounts of the drug in equal or even lower volumes of SMEDDS, it also enables the production of smaller final dosage forms as well as decreased gastrointestinal irritation, being of particular importance when formulating dosage forms for children or the elderly. In this review, the technological approaches used to prolong the drug supersaturation are discussed regarding the type and concentration of polymers used in liquid and solid SMEDDS formulation. The addition of hypromellose derivatives, vinyl polymers, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or polymetacrylate copolymers proved to be effective in inhibiting drug precipitation. Regarding the available literature, hypromellose has been the most commonly used polymeric precipitation inhibitor, added in a concentration of 5 % (m/m). However, the inhibiting ability is mainly governed not only by the physicochemical properties of the polymer but also by the API, therefore the choice of optimal precipitation inhibitor is recommended to be evaluated on an individual basis.

Improving Oral Bioavailability of Herbal Drugs: A Focused Review of Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for Colon Cancer

One of the most frequent malignancies in the world is colon cancer. Both men and women are affected in the same way. The colon, which makes up the last part of the digestive system and is where water and minerals from food waste are absorbed, is vulnerable to cancer. The most suitable technique of drug administration is oral administration. Aqueous solubility is low in more than 40% of novel chemical entities, resulting in poor oral drug administration. In the formulation of oral medications, low inconsistent bioavailability is a major challenge. Increasing medication bioavailability is one of the most difficult aspects of pharmacological development. Self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) have been a potential platform for biopharmaceutical classification system class II and IV drugs for oral delivery. Enhanced bioavailability and solubility, control of toxicity, pharmacological effects, improved stability, improved tissue macrophage dispersion, prolonged delivery, and resistance to physical and chemical degradation are just a few benefits of SNEDDS for herbal drugs. To increase activity and address problems associated with herbal drugs, nanosized modern drug delivery technologies are expected to have a promising future. Improved patient compliance, fewer problems with liquid SNEDDS filled in capsules, and enhanced stability SNEDDS are all benefits of converting liquid SNEDDS to solid oral dosage forms or solid SNEDDS. SNEDDS differs from previous solubility augmentation methods due to its biodegradable components, simplicity of large-scale production, and range of drug-targeting possibilities.

Lipid based formulations as supersaturating oral delivery systems: From current to future industrial applications

Lipid-based formulations, in particular supersaturated lipid-based formulations, are important delivery approaches when formulating challenging compounds, as especially low water-soluble compounds profit from delivery in a pre-dissolved state. In this article, the classification of lipid-based formulation is described, followed by a detailed discussion of different supersaturated lipid-based formulations and the recent advances reported in the literature. The supersaturated lipid-based formulations discussed include both the in situ forming supersaturated systems as well as the thermally induced supersaturated lipid-based formulations. The in situ forming drug supersaturation by lipid-based formulations has been widely employed and numerous clinically available products are on the market. There are some scientific gaps in the field, but in general there is a good understanding of the mechanisms driving the success of these systems. For thermally induced supersaturation, the technology is not yet fully understood and developed, hence more research is required in this field to explore the formulations beyond preclinical studies and initial clinical trials.

Supersaturation and Precipitation Applicated in Drug Delivery Systems: Development Strategies and Evaluation Approaches

Supersaturation is a promising strategy to improve gastrointestinal absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. Supersaturation is a metastable state and therefore dissolved drugs often quickly precipitate again. Precipitation inhibitors can prolong the metastable state. Supersaturating drug delivery systems (SDDS) are commonly formulated with precipitation inhibitors, hence the supersaturation is effectively prolonged for absorption, leading to improved bioavailability. This review summarizes the theory of and systemic insight into supersaturation, with the emphasis on biopharmaceutical aspects. Supersaturation research has developed from the generation of supersaturation (pH-shift, prodrug and SDDS) and the inhibition of precipitation (the mechanism of precipitation, the character of precipitation inhibitors and screening precipitation inhibitors). Then, the evaluation approaches to SDDS are discussed, including in vitro, in vivo and in silico studies and in vitro-in vivo correlations. In vitro aspects involve biorelevant medium, biomimetic apparatus and characterization instruments; in vivo aspects involve oral absorption, intestinal perfusion and intestinal content aspiration and in silico aspects involve molecular dynamics simulation and pharmacokinetic simulation. More physiological data of in vitro studies should be taken into account to simulate the in vivo environment. The supersaturation theory should be further completed, especially with regard to physiological conditions.

Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) mediated improved oral bioavailability of thymoquinone: optimization, characterization, pharmacokinetic, and hepatotoxicity studies

Thymoquinone (TQ) is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective compound obtained from the black seed oil of Nigella sativa. However, high hydrophobicity, instability at higher pH levels, photosensitivity, and low oral bioavailability hinder its delivery to the target tissues. A self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) was fabricated using the microemulsification technique to address these issues. Its physicochemical properties, thermodynamic stability studies, drug release kinetics, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and hepatoprotective activity were evaluated. The droplet size was in the nano-range (< 90 nm). Zeta potential was measured to be -11.35 mV, signifying the high stability of the oil droplets. In vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation showed a fourfold increase in the bioavailability of TQ-SNEDDS over pure TQ. Furthermore, in a PCM-induced animal model, TQ-SNEDDS demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) hepatoprotective activity compared to pure TQ and silymarin. Reduction in liver biomarker enzymes and histopathological examinations of liver sections further supported the results. In this study, SNEDDS was demonstrated to be an improved oral delivery method for TQ, since it potentiates hepatotoxicity and enhances bioavailability.

Lipid-based solubilization technology via hot melt extrusion: promises and challenges

INTRODUCTION

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) are a promising strategy to improve the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs (PWSD). The excipients of SEDDS enable permeation through the mucus and gastro-intestinal barrier, inhibiting efflux transporters (e.g. P-glycoprotein) of drugs. Poor drug loading capacity and formulation instability are the main setbacks of traditional SEDDS. The use of polymeric precipitation inhibitors was shown to create supersaturable SEDDS with increased drug payload, and their solidification can help to overcome the instability challenge. As an alternative to several existing SEDDS solidification technologies, hot melt extrusion (HME) holds the potential for lean and continuous manufacturing of supersaturable solid-SEDDS. Despite being ubiquitously applied in solid lipid and polymeric processing, HME has not yet been widely considered for the preparation of SEDDS.

AREAS COVERED

The review begins with the rationale why SEDDS as the preferred lipid-based delivery systems (LBDS) is suitable for the oral delivery of PWSD and discusses the common barriers to oral administration. The potential of LBDS to surmount them is discussed. SEDDS as the flagship of LBDS for PWSD is proposed with a special emphasis on solid-SEDDS. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of HME from the lipid-based excipient (LBE) processing and product performance standpoint are highlighted.

EXPERT OPINION

HME can be a continuous, solvent-free, cost-effective, and scalable technology for manufacturing solid supersaturable SEDDS. Several critical formulations and process parameters in successfully preparing SEDDS via HME are identified.

Self-Emulsifying Systems for Delivery of Bioactive Compounds from Natural Origin

Nature has been used as therapeutic resources in the treatment of diseases for many years. However, some natural compounds have poor water solubility. Therefore, physicochemical strategies and technologies are necessary for development of systems for carrying these substances. The self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) have been used as carriers of hydrophobic compounds in order to increase the solubility and absorption, improving their bioavailability. SEDDS are constituted with a mixture of oils and surfactants which, when come into contact with an aqueous medium under mild agitation, can form emulsions. In the last years, a wide variety of self-emulsifying formulations containing bioactive compounds from natural origin has been developed. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the main excipients and natural bioactive compounds composing SEDDS. In addition, applications, new technologies and innovation are reviewed as well. Examples of self-emulsifying formulations administered in different sites are also considered for a better understanding of the use of this strategy to modify the delivery of compounds from natural origin.

Supersaturation-Based Drug Delivery Systems: Strategy for Bioavailability Enhancement of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

At present, the majority of APIs synthesized today remain challenging tasks for formulation development. Many technologies are being utilized or explored for enhancing solubility, such as chemical modification, novel drug delivery systems (microemulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, etc.), salt formation, and many more. One promising avenue attaining attention presently is supersaturated drug delivery systems. When exposed to gastrointestinal fluids, drug concentration exceeds equilibrium solubility and a supersaturation state is maintained long enough to be absorbed, enhancing bioavailability. In this review, the latest developments in supersaturated drug delivery systems are addressed in depth.

Pharmacokinetics study of a supersaturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for ellagic acid by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS

To evaluate the bioavailability of ellagic acid loaded super-saturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SMEDDS), its pharmacokinetic properties were studied in rats with an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. The plasma samples were treated by solid-phase extraction method, and gallic acid was used as the internal standard when determining the concentration of ellagic acid. Results showed that the established analytical method was sensitive and accurate, which is applicable to the pharmacokinetic study of ellagic acid. The drug was found to be absorbed rapidly in vivo, and the plasma concentration-time curve showed double peaks, indicating that ellagic acid were reabsorbed by entero-hepatic circulation after oral administration. Compared with ellagic acid suspension, the apparent clearance of ellagic acid-loaded S-SMEDDS and SMEDDS reduced significantly, and the AUC _0~t of them were 4.7 and 5.8-fold increase, respectively. Therefore, the bioavailability of ellagic acid-loaded S-SMEDDS was higher than that of the suspension and SMEDDS.

Facile preparation of nanomicelles using polymyxin E for enhanced antitumor effects

Chemotherapy is a major cancer treatment that uses antitumor drugs to kill fast-growing cancer cells. Many kinds of drug carriers have been developed to deliver and achieve controlled release of small-molecule therapeutic agents. However, many therapeutic agent carriers need complex preparation process. The natural polypeptides may serve as proper drug carriers. More specifically, polymyxin E (PE) is a kind of natural antibiotic lipopeptides. It is commonly used to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Herein, we present a facile method to prepare DOX-loaded polymyxin E micelles (PE-DOX micelles) to enhance the therapeutic effect of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). The hydrodynamic sizes and zeta potential of the prepared nanomedicine (PE-DOX micelles) were 142.0 nm and 6.47 mV, respectively. The release of DOX from PE-DOX micelles was faster at pH 5.5 than that at pH 7.4. Furthermore, PE exhibited negligible cytotoxicity to A549 cells and HeLa cells within 50 μg/mL, while PE-DOX micelles caused higher cytotoxicity than that of free DOX. Moreover, the intravenously injected PE-DOX micelles showed good biocompatibility and obvious antitumor effect after 14 days' treatment in vivo. The PE-DOX micelles have great potential to be used as anticancer agent in the future.

Systematic review of pharmacokinetics and potential pharmacokinetic interactions of flavonolignans from silymarin

Silymarin is an extract from the seeds (fruits) of Silybum marianum that contains flavonolignans and flavonoids. Although it is frequently used as a hepatoprotective agent, its application remains somewhat debatable, in particular, due to the low oral bioavailability of flavonolignans. Moreover, there are claims of its potential interactions with concomitantly used drugs. This review aims at a systematic summary and critical assessment of known information on the pharmacokinetics of particular silymarin flavonolignans. There are two known major reasons for poor systemic oral bioavailability of flavonolignans: (1) rapid conjugation in intestinal cells or the liver and (2) efflux of parent flavonolignans or formed conjugates back to the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract by intestinal cells and rapid excretion by the liver into the bile. The metabolism of phase I appears to play a minor role, in contrast to extensive conjugation and indeed the unconjugated flavonolignans reach low plasma levels after common doses. Only about 1%-5% of the administered dose is eliminated by the kidneys. Many in vitro studies tested the inhibitory potential of silymarin and its components toward different enzymes and transporters involved in the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of xenobiotics. In most cases, effective concentrations are too high to be relevant under real biological conditions. Most human studies showed no silymarin-drug interactions explainable by these suggested interferences. More interactions were found in animal studies, likely due to the much higher doses administered.

Exploring precipitation inhibitors to improve in vivo absorption of cinnarizine from supersaturated lipid-based drug delivery systems

Supersaturated lipid-based drug delivery systems are increasingly being explored as a bio-enabling formulation approach, particularly in preclinical evaluation of poorlywater-soluble drugs. While increasing the drug load through thermally-induced supersaturation resulted in enhanced in vivo exposure for some drugs, for others, such as cinnarizine, supersaturated lipid-based systems have not been found beneficial to increase the in vivo bioavailability. We hypothesized that incorporation of precipitation inhibitors to reduce drug precipitation may address this limitation. Therefore, pharmacokinetic profiles of cinnarizine supersaturated lipid-based drug delivery systems with or without precipitation inhibitors were compared. Five precipitation inhibitors were selected for investigation based on a high throughput screening of twenty-one excipients. In vivo results showed that addition of 5% precipitation inhibitors to long chain monoglyceride (LCM) or medium chain monoglyceride (MCM) formulations showed a general trend of increases in cinnarizine bioavailability, albeit only statistically significantly increased for Poloxamer 407 + LCM system (i.e. 2.7-fold increase in AUC_0-24h compared to LCM without precipitation inhibitors). It appeared that precipitation inhibitors mitigated the risk of in vivo precipitation of cinnarizine from sLBDDS and overall, bioavailability was comparable to that previously reported for cinnarizine after dosing of non-supersaturated lipid systems. In summary, for drugs which are prone to precipitation from supersaturated lipid-based drug delivery systems, such as cinnarizine, inclusion of precipitation inhibitors mitigates this risk and provides the opportunity to maximize exposure which is ideally suited in early efficacy and toxicology evaluation.

Development of a Solid Supersaturable Micelle of Revaprazan for Improved Dissolution and Oral Bioavailability Using Box-Behnken Design

PURPOSE

To enhance the oral bioavailability of revaprazan (RVP), a novel solid, supersaturable micelle (SSuM) was developed.

METHODS

Surfactants and solid carriers were screened based on a solubility and a flowability test, respectively. Supersaturating agents, including Poloxamer 407 (P407), were screened. The SSuM was optimized using a Box-Behnken design with three independent variables, including Gelucire 44/14:Brij L4 (G44/BL4; X1) and the amounts of Florite PS-10 (FLO; X2) and Vivapur 105 (VP105; X3), and three response variables, ie, dissolution efficiency at 30 min (Y1), dissolution enhancing capacity (Y2), and Carr's index (Y3). The solid state property was evaluated, and a dissolution test was conducted. RVP, Revanex®, solid micelle (P407-free from the composition of SSuM), and SSuM were orally administrated to rats (RVP 20 mg equivalent/kg) for in vivo pharmacokinetic study.

RESULTS

G44 and BL4 showed great solubility, with a critical micelle concentration range of 119.2-333.0 μg/mL. P407 had an excellent supersaturating effect. FLO and VP105 were selected as solid carriers, with a critical solidifying ratio (g/mL) of 0.30 and 0.91, respectively. With optimized values of X1 (-0.41), X2 (0.31), and X3 (-0.78), RVP (200 mg)-containing SSuM consisting of G44 (253.8 mg), BL4 (106.2 mg), FLO (99.3 mg), VP105 (199.8 mg), and P407 (40 mg) was developed, resulting in Y1 (40.3%), Y2 (0.008), and Y3 (12.3%). RVP existed in an amorphous state in the optimized SSuM, and the SSuM formed a nanosized dispersion in the aqueous phase, with approximately 71.7% dissolution at 2 h. The optimized SSuM improved the relative bioavailability of RVP in rats by approximately 478%, 276%, and 161% compared to raw RVP, Revanex®, and solid micelle, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The optimized SSuM has great potential for the development of solidified formulations of poorly water-soluble drugs with improved oral absorption.

Self-Nano-Emulsifying Drug-Delivery Systems: From the Development to the Current Applications and Challenges in Oral Drug Delivery

Approximately one third of newly discovered drug molecules show insufficient water solubility and therefore low oral bio-availability. Self-nano-emulsifying drug-delivery systems (SNEDDSs) are one of the emerging strategies developed to tackle the issues associated with their oral delivery. SNEDDSs are composed of an oil phase, surfactant, and cosurfactant or cosolvent. SNEDDSs characteristics, their ability to dissolve a drug, and in vivo considerations are determinant factors in the choice of SNEDDSs excipients. A SNEDDS formulation can be optimized through phase diagram approach or statistical design of experiments. The characterization of SNEDDSs includes multiple orthogonal methods required to fully control SNEDDS manufacture, stability, and biological fate. Encapsulating a drug in SNEDDSs can lead to increased solubilization, stability in the gastro-intestinal tract, and absorption, resulting in enhanced bio-availability. The transformation of liquid SNEDDSs into solid dosage forms has been shown to increase the stability and patient compliance. Supersaturated, mucus-permeating, and targeted SNEDDSs can be developed to increase efficacy and patient compliance. Self-emulsification approach has been successful in oral drug delivery. The present review gives an insight of SNEDDSs for the oral administration of both lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds from the experimental bench to marketed products.

Enhanced oral bioavailability of Bisdemethoxycurcumin-loaded self-microemulsifying drug delivery system: Formulation design, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

In this study, we sought to overcome the poor solubility and bioavailability of bismethoxycurcumin (BDMC) by fabricating a BDMC-loaded self micro-emulsifying system (BDMC-SMEDDS). Solubility and compatibility tests, pseudo-ternary phase diagrams (PTPDs) as well as d-optimal concept was applied to design the formulation. The assessment of the prepared BDMC-SMEDDS in-vitro mainly included droplet size (DS) and entrapment efficiency (EE) determination, morphology, drug release and stability testing. Besides, the in vivo behavior was also evaluated after oral administration of BDMC-SMEDDS to rats. The optimal formulation was found to compose of Kolliphor EL (K-EL, emulsifier, 645.3 mg), PEG 400 (co-emulsifier, 147.2 mg), ethyl oleate (EO, oil, 207.5 mg) and BDMC (50 mg). The BDMC-SMEDDS with satisfactory stability had a mean size of 21.25 ± 3.23 nm and EE of 98.31 ± 0.32%. Roughly 70% of BDMC was released from BDMC-SMEDDS within 84 h compared with <20% from the free BDMC. More importantly, the in-vivo behavior of BDMC-SMEDDS showed that the AUC_(0-12h) and plasma concentration of BDMC increased substantially as compared to the free BDMC. Altogether, BDMC-SMEDDS has the potential to enhance the solubility and bioavailability of BDMC and could be applied in the clinics.

Current Status of Supersaturable Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs) are a vital strategy to enhance the bioavailability (BA) of formulations of poorly water-soluble compounds. However, these formulations have certain limitations, including in vivo drug precipitation, poor in vitro in vivo correlation due to a lack of predictive in vitro tests, issues in handling of liquid formulation, and physico-chemical instability of drug and/or vehicle components. To overcome these limitations, which restrict the potential usage of such systems, the supersaturable SEDDSs (su-SEDDSs) have gained attention based on the fact that the inclusion of precipitation inhibitors (PIs) within SEDDSs helps maintain drug supersaturation after dispersion and digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. This improves the BA of drugs and reduces the variability of exposure. In addition, the formulation of solid su-SEDDSs has helped to overcome disadvantages of liquid or capsule dosage form. This review article discusses, in detail, the current status of su-SEDDSs that overcome the limitations of conventional SEDDSs. It discusses the definition and range of su-SEDDSs, the principle mechanisms underlying precipitation inhibition and enhanced in vivo absorption, drug application cases, biorelevance in vitro digestion models, and the development of liquid su-SEDDSs to solid dosage forms. This review also describes the effects of various physiological factors and the potential interactions between PIs and lipid, lipase or lipid digested products on the in vivo performance of su-SEDDSs. In particular, several considerations relating to the properties of PIs are discussed from various perspectives.

A Soluplus/Poloxamer 407-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system for the weakly basic drug carvedilol to improve its bioavailability

Carvedilol (CAR), a β-adrenoceptor and α1-receptor blocker, has pH-dependent solubility, which greatly limits its oral bioavailability. In this work, a precipitation inhibitor-based self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (PI-SNEDDS) was developed by employing Soluplus and Poloxamer 407 to improve drug dissolution and to inhibit drug precipitation in the gastrointestinal tract. In vitro phase distribution and in vivo dissolution studies indicated that PI-SNEDDS significantly increased drug content in the oil phase of the nanoemulsions in the stomach and greatly inhibited the subsequent precipitation of CAR in the intestine compared with the carvedilol self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (CAR SNEDDS) and the carvedilol tablets. Moreover, a 1.56-fold increase in the relative bioavailability of CAR was observed for the CAR PI-SNEDDS (397.41%) compared to a CAR SNEDDS (254.09%) with commercial capsules as a reference. Therefore, our developed PI-SNEDDS is a promising vehicle for improving the dissolution and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs with pH-dependent solubility.

In-Vitro and In-Vivo Evaluation of Supersaturable Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS) of Dutasteride

OBJECTIVE

A novel, Supersaturable Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (S-SNEDDS) has been prepared to improve the Dutasteride's poor aqueous solubility.

METHODS

By adding Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) as a precipitation inhibitor to conventional SNEDDS, a supersaturable system was prepared. Firstly, the prepared SNEDDS played an important role in increasing the aqueous solubility and hence oral absorption due to nano-range size. Secondly, the S-SNEDDS found to be advantageous over SNEDDS for having a higher drug load and inhibition of dilution precipitation of Dutasteride. Formulated S-SNEDDS (F1-F9) ranged from 37.42 ± 1.02 to 68.92 ± 0.09 nm with PDI 0.219-0.34 and drug loading of over 95 percent.

RESULTS

The study of in-vitro dissolution revealed higher dissolution for S-SNEDDS compared to SNEDDS and Avodart soft gelatin capsule as a commercial product. In addition, higher absorption was observed for S-SNEDDS showing approximately 1.28 and 1.27 fold AUC (0-24h) and Cmax compared to commercial products. Therefore, S-SNEDDS has proven as a novel drug delivery system with a higher drug load, higher self-emulsification efficiency, higher stability, higher dissolution and pronounced absorption.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, S-SNEDDS could be a newly emerging approach to enhance aqueous solubility in many folds for drugs belonging to BCS Class II and IV and thus absorption and oral bioavailability.

Wound healing evaluation of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system containing Piper cubeba essential oil

The objective of this work was to characterize and evaluate wound healing potential of Piper cubeba oil (PO) via self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) in comparison with standard gentamycin. PO loaded SNEDDS was prepared by low energy emulsification technique and characterized for thermodynamic stability, self-emulsification power and various physico-chemical parameters. An optimal formula of PO SNEDDS was subjected to wound healing evaluation, collagen determination and histomorphological examination in female Wistar rats as compared with pure PO and standard antibiotic/gentamycin. An optimal formula of PO SNEDDS showed significant wound healing effects in Wistar female rats in comparison with pure PO. However, wound healing effects of optimized SNEDDS were comparable with standard gentamycin. An optimized formulation also indicated significant enhancement in collagen content (0.82 mg/g) in comparison with pure PO (0.53 mg/g) and negative control (0.33 mg/g). While, the collagen content of SNEDDS (0.82 mg/g) treated rats were comparable with standard gentamycin treated animals (0.98 mg/g). Histopathological examinations of optimized SNEDDS treated animals showed no signs of inflammatory cells which indicated that prepared SNEDDS was safe and nontoxic to rats. The results obtained in this work showed the potential application of SNEDDS in enhancement of the wound healing activity of PO upon oral administration.