Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Vehicles-Microemulsion & Self-Microemulsion

CD Bioparticles is committed to providing professional, reliable and quality-assured services for your drug delivery research. For emulsion preparations, mainly microemulsion preparations and self-microemulsion drug delivery systems, we can provide you with a full range of one-stop development and services, from formulation design, encapsulation, characterization to drug release evaluation, and also provide related products, combined with traditional and advanced delivery carrier engineering technology, continuously improve the quality of pharmaceutical preparation services.

Introduction to Microemulsion and Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS)

Unlike the kinetic stability of macroemulsions and nanoemulsions, microemulsions are thermodynamically stable transparent liquids. The phases in an emulsion do not readily separate over time, and most microemulsion formulations remain stable over many years. Therefore, microemulsions have been extensively studied and applied in the field of improving the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs.

Self-microemulsion preparation is composed of oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant. After taking it, under physiological body temperature and gastrointestinal peristalsis, it will disperse into nano-scale microemulsion particles when it encounters water or gastrointestinal fluid, which is very beneficial Therefore, it can be widely used in various oral preparations, such as oral liquids, tablets, and capsules, and can also be used in injections, lotions, liniments, patches, or granules^[1].

Figure 1. Schematic outline of Microemulsion Formulation.

Features of Microemulsion:

A. Advantages:

• Thermodynamically stable, prolonging the shelf life of the product
• Reduce gastrointestinal irritation,
• Improve drug oral absorption,
• Improve drug stability and bioavailability, etc.
• Low viscosity

B. Limitations:

• Low content of active ingredients
• Requires high levels of surfactants

The Application of Microemulsion Formulations in Clinical Practice:

Table 1. Listed drugs of microemulsion drug delivery system

Research on poorly soluble drugs using microemulsion formulations has been widely conducted both domestically and internationally. Significant progress has been made in prescription screening and optimization. The problem of selecting improved excipients and refining optimization methods has been continuously addressed, leading to the development of various microemulsion preparation techniques ranging from simple techniques to new technologies such as supersaturation and positive charge microemulsions. As research continues to deepen, the emergence of natural emulsifiers with mild properties, good stability, low irritation, and high safety will accelerate the development of this dosage form.

Our Featured Services:

• Formulation: We provide formulation services for your drugs, achieving increased distribution and absorption within the body and improving the drug's therapeutic efficacy through rational design and prescription optimization.
• Characterization: Our characterization services mainly include particle size, zeta potential, transmittance, drug loading, self-emulsifying efficiency, stability, and oral bioavailability.
• Release studies:
  In vitro, in vivo and in situ methods.
  In vitro evaluation: Used to study the mechanism and predict the in vivo release behavior of microemulsion drug delivery systems, including lipolysis, dialysis, and reverse dialysis methods.
  In vivo evaluation: Includes the determination of pharmacokinetic parameters to evaluate the extent of increased bioavailability.
  In situ methods: Using an in situ intestinal perfusion model to evaluate absorption differences.

Quotations and Ordering

Reference

1. Silberstein, S., Spierings, E.L.H. & Kunkel, T. Celecoxib Oral Solution and the Benefits of Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SMEDDS) Technology: A Narrative Review. Pain Ther (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-023-00529-7