Lipid Based Drug Delivery Systems: Past, Present and Future Perspectives in Improving Drug Bioavailability

Abstract

Low oral bioavailability is due to low aqueous solubility of drugs is a growing challenge in the evolution of new pharmaceutical products. Lipid based formulations such as microemulsion, nanoemulsion, self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS), self- microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) and self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) used to improve the oral bioavailability of BCS-II drugs were surveyed in many studies as an efficient approach for improving the bioavailability and dissolution rate. This review article focuses on the following topics. First, it presents an overview of lipid-based drug delivery systems and excipients involved in improving the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Second, the article reviews selection of components in lipid-based drug delivery systems for oral use with their characteristics. Third, it brings a detailed description of the processing techniques necessary to obtain lipid-based formulation for oral delivery, along with brief discussion of their strategies to enhance the bioavailability and characterization perspectives.