Preparation and evaluation of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing atorvastatin

Atorvastatin is insoluble in aqueous solution and the bioavailability after oral administration is low. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) containing atorvastatin have been successfully prepared to improve its bioavailability. SMEDDS is a mixture of lipid, surfactant, and cosurfactant, which are emulsified in aqueous medium under gentle digestive motility in the gastrointestinal tract. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams composed of various excipients were plotted. Droplet size, zeta-potential and long-term physical stability of the formulations were investigated. The release of atorvastatin from SMEDDS capsules was studied using the dialysis bag method in 0.1 M HCl and phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), compared with the release of atorvastatin from a conventional tablet. A pharmacokinetic study was performed in 6 beagle dogs after oral administration of 6 mg kg-1 atorvastatin. The bioavailability of atorvastatin SMEDDS capsules was significantly increased compared with that of the conventional tablet. SMEDDS capsules consisting of Labrafil, propylene glycol and Cremophor RH40 provided the greatest bioavailability. Our studies indicate that the use of SMEDDS for the delivery of atorvastatin can improve its bioavailability.     

Formulation and biopharmaceutical evaluation of silymarin using SMEDDS

Silymarin has been used to treat hepatobiliary diseases. However, it has a low bioavailability after being administered orally on account of its low solubility in water. In order to improve the dissolution rate, silymarin was formulated in the form of a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS). The optimum formulation of SMEDDS containing silymarin was obtained based on the study of pseudo-ternary phase diagram. The SMEDDS consisted of 15% silymarin, 10% glyceryl monooleate as the oil phase, a mixture of polysorbate 20 and HCO-50 (1:1) as the surfactant, Transcutol as the cosurfactant with a surfactant/cosurfactant ratio of 1. The mean droplet size of the oil phase in the microemulsion formed from the SMEDDS was 67 nm. The % release of silybin from the SMEDDS after 6 hours was 2.5 times higher than that from the reference capsule. After its oral administration to rats, the bioavailability of the drug from the SMEDDS was 3.6 times higher than the reference capsule.     

Development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems for oral bioavailability enhancement of alpha-Asarone in beagle dogs

A self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for enhancement of oral absorption of a poor water-soluble drug, alpha-Asarone (ARE), is reported. Solubility of ARE was determined in various vehicles. SMEDDS consisted of a mixture of oils, surfactants, and cosurfactants that were emulsified in an aqueous medium under the gentle agitation and digestive motility. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were used to identify the efficient self-emulsification regions. The particle size distribution of the resulting microemulsions was determined using a laser scatter particle size analyzer (LSPSA). The optimized SMEDDS formulations containing Ethyl oleate (20%), Tween 80 (60%), and PEG 400 (20%) were tested for in vitro dissolution. The percentage of ARE released from the SMEDDS was significantly higher than that from the conventional tablets. Oral bioavailability of ARE in the SMEDDS via the hard capsules and the conventional tablets was evaluated in fasted beagle dogs. The bioavailability of ARE formulated in SMEDDS showed approximately 4.8-fold higher bioavailability than that in the conventional tablets. The results indicated that SMEDDS is potentially a good drug delivery system for oral delivery of the hydrophobic compound ARE.     

自微乳化给药系统增加索拉非尼的口服吸收生物利用度

目的:为了增加难溶性药物索拉非尼(Sorafenib)的口服吸收,本研究制备索拉非尼自微乳化给药系统并测定其口服相对生物利用度。方法:以油酸乙酯(20%,w/w)为油相,聚山梨酯-80(48%,w/w)为主要乳化剂,聚乙二醇400(16%,w/w)和乙醇(16%,w/w)为助乳化剂制备索拉非尼自微乳化给药系统,以大鼠为实验动物测定其口服相对生物利用度。结果:自微乳化给药系统中索拉非尼的终浓度为20 mg.mL-1。该制剂乳化后粒径为20～25 nm,并可在去离子水,生理盐水及5%葡萄糖溶液中稳定存在8 h。与索拉非尼混悬液相比,自微乳化给药系统可以显著增加索拉非尼的血药浓度-时间曲线下面积(AUC0～72 h),峰浓度(Cmax)和平均滞留时间(MRT),降低清除率(CL)。尤其是与口服混悬液相比,其相对生物利用度提高约25倍。结论:索拉非尼自微乳化给药系统可以显著提高索拉非尼的口服吸收相对生物利用度,有望开发成为增加其口服吸收的药物制剂。     

Oral bioavailability enhancement of vinpocetine using self-microemulsifying drug delivery system containing long chain triglycerides: Preparation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation

Vinpocetine, a widely used neurotropic agent, has low oral bioavailability due to its poor solubility and extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism. In the present work, self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) employing long chain triglycerides (LCT) were successfully developed to increase vinpocetine’s solubility and reduce its hepatic first pass metabolism, thus enhancing its overall oral bioavailability. Maisine^?35-1 was chosen as the lipid component in the formulated SMEDDS as it showed the maximal vinpocetine solubility within different LCT tested. Feasibility of obtaining SMEDDS, containing Maisine^?35-1, together with Transcutol^®HP and either Cremophor^®EL or Tween 80, was evaluated using ternary phase diagrams. In vitro release studies performed in phosphate buffer of pH 7.4 illustrated that extent of vinpocetine release from SMEDDS was drastically higher than that obtained from commercial Cavinton^® tablets. The industrial usefulness of the developed SMEDDS was evaluated regarding their moisture sorption isotherms when filled into gelatin capsules and stored at different relative humidity. Vinpocetine’s optimal SMEDDS did not induce gross changes in the gastrointestinal mucosa of rats at the investigated dose. Moreover, it significantly improved the relative oral bioavailability of vinpocetine compared to Cavinton^® tablets. Accordingly, this study suggests that SMEDDS containing LCT under proper optimization and safety assessment can be effectively utilized for oral bioavailability enhancement of vinpocetine.     

和厚朴酚口服自微乳制剂的制备及药代动力学研究

目的:制备和厚朴酚(HNK)口服自微乳制剂(SMEDDS),并考察自微乳制剂促进和厚朴酚口服吸收的效果。方法:采用伪三元相图法优化自微乳制剂处方组成,稀释法评价含HNK的SMEDDS制剂的乳化效果。并以和厚朴酚混悬液(含1%CMC-Na的溶液为分散介质)为对照,考察了自微乳制剂大鼠口服给药后体内生物利用度情况。结果:由MCT,cremaphor EL和labrasol(质量比为3∶5∶2)组成的和厚朴酚自微乳制剂经去离子水稀释后可自发形成平均粒径和表面电势分别为(35.48±4.21)nm和(-2.04±0.26)mV的微乳(HNK-ME),并且在10～100倍稀释范围内乳化效果良好且性质稳定。大鼠体内的药代动力学结果表明,和厚朴酚微乳(HNK-ME)的生物利用度(AUC)为混悬剂的1.33倍,Cmax为混悬剂的1.53倍。结论:自微乳制剂可显著提高和厚朴酚的口服生物利用度。     

Optimized self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) for enhanced oral bioavailability of astilbin

The main purpose of this research work was to design an optimized self micro-emulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) to enhance the bioavailability of the poor water soluble drug, astilbin. The solubility of astilbin was evaluated in various vehicles. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were used to select the components and their ranges by evaluating the micro-emulsification area. Central composite design was applied to optimize the properties of the formulation, including particle size, polydispersity index, drug loading capacity and effective intestinal permeability. The optimized SMEDDS characteristics were investigated including the study of factors influencing particle size and showed the stability of microemulsion when varying the pH and volume of diluents. In vitro drug release profile study was performed using the reverse dialysis method where 95% of the drug was released after 4 h. The developed astilbin SMEDDS was subjected to bioavailability studies in beagle dogs by LC-MS and showed a significant enhancement of bioavailability, indicating the possibility of using SMEDDS as possible drug carrier for astilbin.     

Development of novel flurbiprofen-loaded solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system using gelatin as solid carrier

To develop a novel flurbiprofen-loaded solid self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (solid SMEDDS) with improved oral bioavailability using gelatin as a solid carrier, the solid SMEDDS formulation was prepared by spray-drying the solutions containing liquid SMEDDS and gelatin. The liquid SMEDDS, composed of Labrafil M 1944 CS/Labrasol/Transcutol HP (12.5/80/7.5%) with 2% w/v flurbiprofen, gave a z-average diameter of about 100?nm. The flurbiprofen-loaded solid SMEDDS formulation gave a larger emulsion droplet size compared to liquid SMEDDS. Unlike conventional solid SMEDDS, it produced a kind of microcapsule in which liquid SMEDDS was not absorbed onto the surfaces of carrier but formed together with carrier in it. However, the drug was in an amorphous state in it like conventional solid SMEDDS. It greatly improved the oral bioavailability of flurbiprofen in rats. Thus, gelatin could be used as a carrier in the development of solid SMEDDS with improved oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drug.     

Development and in-vivo assessment of the bioavailability of oridonin solid dispersions by the gas anti-solvent technique

We developed solid dispersions, using the gas anti-solvent technique (GAS), to improve the oral bioavailability of the poorly water-soluble active component oridonin. The solubility of oridonin in supercritical carbon dioxide was measured under various pressures and temperatures. To prepare oridonin solid dispersions using the GAS technique, ethanol was used as the solvent, CO(2) was used as the anti-solvent and the hydrophilic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone K17 (PVP K17) was used as the drug carrier matrix. Characterization of the obtained preparations was undertaken using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses and a drug release study. Oridonin solid dispersions were formed and oridonin was present in an amorphous form in these dispersions. Oridonin solid dispersions significantly increased the drug dissolution rate compared with that of oridonin powder, primarily through drug amorphization. Compared with the physical mixture of oridonin and PVP K17, oridonin solid dispersions gave higher values of AUC and C(max), and the absorption of oridonin from solid dispersions resulted in 26.4-fold improvement in bioavailability. The present study illustrated the feasibility of applying the GAS technique to prepare oridonin solid dispersions, and of using them for the delivery of oridonin via the oral route.     

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) of vinpocetine: formulation development and in vivo assessment

A new self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) has been developed to increase the solubility, dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of vinpocetine (VIP), a poor water-soluble drug. The formulations of VIP-SMEDDS were optimized by solubility assay, compatibility tests, and pseudo-ternary phase diagrams analysis. The optimal ratio in the formulation of SMEDDS was found to be Labrafac : oleic acid : Cremophor EL : Transcutol P=40 : 10 : 40 : 10 (w/w). The average particle diameter of VIP was less than 50 nm. In vitro dissolution study indicated that the dialysis method in reverse was better than the ultrafiltration method and the dialysis method in simulating the drug in vivo environment. Comparing with VIP crude drug power and commercial tablets, (-)VIP-SMEDDS caused a 3.4- and 2.9-fold increase in the percent of accumulated dissolution at 3 h. Further study on the absorption property of VIP-SMEDDS employing in situ intestine of rats demonstrated that VIP in SMEDDS could be well-absorbed in general intestinal tract without specific absorption sites. In addition, the developed SMEDDS formulations significantly improved the oral bioavailability of VIP in rats. Relative bioavailability of (-)VIP-SMEDDS and (+)VIP-SMEDDS increased by 1.85- and 1.91-fold, respectively, in relative of VIP crude powder suspension. The mechanisms of enhanced bioavailability of VIP might contribute to the improved release, enhanced lymphatic transport, and increased intestinal permeability of the drug.     

黄芩素自微乳的制备及大鼠体内生物利用度研究

目的:制备黄芩素自微乳化制剂(SMEDDS),考察其大鼠体内生物利用度。方法:采用伪三元相图法筛选自微乳的油相、表面活性剂及助表面活性剂;采用HPLC法测定大鼠血浆中药物浓度,与原料比较,对黄芩素自微乳进行大鼠体内生物利用度评价。结果:通过使用混合油相、混合表面活性剂及助表面活性剂,可获得较为理想的黄芩素自微乳。大鼠体内血药浓度-时间曲线结果表明,黄芩素自微乳的AUC是原料的3.77倍,且药时曲线的形状发生一定的改变。结论:自微乳系统可显著增加黄芩素的溶解度,有利于提高口服生物利用度,且自微乳可能改变其胃肠道吸收行为。     

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for improved oral bioavailability of dipyridamole: Preparation and evaluation

Dipyridamole shows poor and variable bioavailability after oral administration due to pHdependent solubility, low biomembrane permeability as well as being a substrate of P-glycoprotein. In order to improve the oral absorption of dipyridamole, a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for dipyridamole was prepared and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The optimum formulation was 18% oleic acid, 12% Labrafac lipophile WL 1349, 42% Solutol HS 15 and 28% isopropyl alcohol. It was found that the performance of self-microemulsification with the combination of oleic acid and Labrafac lipophile WL 1349 increased compared with just one oil. The results obtained from an in vitro dissolution assay indicated that dipyridamole in SMEDDS dissolved rapidly and completely in pH 6.8 aqueous media, while the commercial drug tablet was less soluble. An oral bioavailability study in rats showed that dipyridamole in the SMEDDS formulation had a 2.06-fold increased absorption compared with the simple drug suspension. It was evident that SMEDDS may be an effective approach to improve the oral absorption for drugs having pH-dependent solubility.     

Enhanced Oral Absorption of Paclitaxel in a Novel Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System with or Without Concomitant Use of P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel in a novel self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) for improved oral administration with or without P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors. METHODS: Paclitaxel SMEDDS formulation was optimized, in terms of droplet size and lack of drug precipitation following aqueous dilution, using a ternary phase diagram. Physicochemical properties of paclitaxel SMEDDS and its resulting microemulsions were evaluated. The plasma concentrations of paclitaxel were determined using a HPLC method following paclitaxel microemulsion administrations at various doses in rats. RESULTS: Following 1:10 aqueous dilution of optimal paclitaxel SMEDDS, the droplet size of resulting microemulsions was 2.0 +/- 0.4 nm, and the zeta potential was -45.5 +/- 0.5 mV. Compared to Taxol, the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel SMEDDS increased by 28.6% to 52.7% at various doses. There was a significant improvement in area under the curve (AUC) and time above therapeutic level (0.1 microM) of paclitaxel SMEDDS as compared to those of Taxol following coadministration of both formulations with 40 mg cyclosporin A (CsA)/kg. The oral absorption of paclitaxel SMEDDS slightly enhanced following coadministration of tacrolimus and etoposide, but plasma drug concentrations did not reach the therapeutic level. The nonlinear pharmacokinetic trend was not modified after paclitaxel was formulated in SMEDDS. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that SMEDDS is a promising novel formulation to enhance the oral bioavailability of paclitaxel, especially when coadministered with a suitable P-gp inhibitor, such as CsA.     

A novel nanomatrix system consisted of colloidal silica and pH-sensitive polymethylacrylate improves the oral bioavailability of fenofibrate

A novel solid particle system with a nanomatrix structure and without surfactant for the oral delivery of insoluble drugs was prepared. This used a combination of pH-sensitive polymethylacrylate and nano-porous silica, in order to improve the drug absorption using only pharmaceutical excipients and a relative simple process. The in vitro drug dissolution and in vivo oral bioavailability of this formulation, using fenofibrate as the model drug, were compared with other reference formulations such as a suspension, micronized formulation or self microemulsion drug delivery system (SMEDDS). The supersaturation stabilizing effect of different polymers was evaluated and the physicochemical characterization of the optimal formulation was conducted by SEM, TEM, surface area analysis, DSC, and XRD. The optimized formulation prepared with polymethylacrylate (Eudragit®L100-55) and silica (Sylysia®350) markedly improved the drug dissolution compared with other reference preparations and displayed a comparative oral bioavailability to the SMEDDS. Fenofibrate existed in a molecular or amorphous state in the nanomatrix, and this state was maintained for up to 1 year, without obvious changes in drug release and absorption. In conclusion, the nanomatrix formulation described here is a promising system to enhance the oral bioavailability of water-insoluble drugs.     

Formulation design of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems for improved oral bioavailability of celecoxib

Celecoxib is a hydrophobic and highly permeable drug belonging to class II of biopharmaceutics classification system. Low aqueous solubility of celecoxib leads to high variability in absorption after oral administration. Cohesiveness, low bulk density and compressibility, and poor flow properties of celecoxib impart complications in it's processing into solid dosage forms. To improve the solubility and bioavailability and to get faster onset of action of celecoxib, the self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) was developed. Composition of SMEDDS was optimized using simplex lattice mixture design. Dissolution efficiency, t(85%), absorbance of diluted SMEDDS formulation and solubility of celecoxib in diluted formulation were chosen as response variables. The SMEDDS formulation optimized via mixture design consisted of 49.5% PEG-8 caprylic/capric glycerides, 40.5% mixture of Tween20 and Propylene glycol monocaprylic ester (3:1) and 10% celecoxib, which showed significantly higher rate and extent of absorption than conventional capsule. The relative bioavailability of the SMEDDS formulation to the conventional capsule was 132%. The present study demonstrated the suitability of mixture design to optimize the compositions for SMEDDS. The developed SMEDDS formulations have the potential to minimize the variability in absorption and to provide rapid onset of action of celecoxib.     

Solubilized formulation of olmesartan medoxomil for enhancing oral bioavailability

Olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) is an antihypertensive angiotensin II receptor blocker. OLM has a low bioavailability (BA), approximately 26% in humans, due to its low water solubility and efflux by drug resistance pumps in the gastrointestinal tract. Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS), which is easily emulsified in aqueous media under gentle agitation and digestive motility, was formulated to increase the oral BA of OLM. Among the surfactants and oils studied, Capryol 90, Tween 20, and Tetraglycol were chosen and combined at a volume ratio of 1:6:3 on the basis of equilibrium solubility and phase diagram experiments. The mean droplet size of SMEDDS was 15 nm. In an oral absorption study in rats, SMEDDS formulation brought faster absorption compared to suspension, showing a T _max value of 0.2 hr. The C _max and AUC values of SMEDDS formulation were significantly higher than those of suspension, revealing a relative BA of about 170%. Our study demonstrated the potential usefulness of SMEDDS for the oral delivery of poorly absorbable compounds, including OLM.     

阿托伐他汀自微乳释药系统的制备和评价

目的制备阿托伐他汀自微乳，为自微乳释药系统的处方设计和体内外评价提供参考。方法采用伪三元相图法研究不同乳化剂、助乳化剂和油相形成微乳的能力和区域，绘制不同处方组成的相图，在此基础上制备阿托伐他汀自微乳，比较温度、介质、稀释等因素对自微乳效率的影响，进行自微乳时间、所成微乳的形态、粒径分布、zeta电位、含量和稳定性等体外评价Beagle犬体内药代动力学研究。结果理想的处方经分散后可得到平均粒径在100 nm以下、呈高斯分布的微乳，稳定性好，自微乳效率高，在Beagle犬体内的吸收明显高于市售片剂。结论本文首次研制阿托伐他汀自微乳，稳定性好，在Beagle犬体内的生物利用度高。     

Preparation and in vivo evaluation of SMEDDS (self-microemulsifying drug delivery system) containing fenofibrate

The present work was aimed at formulating a SMEDDS (self-microemulsifying drug delivery system) of fenofibrate and evaluating its in vitro and in vivo potential. The solubility of fenofibrate was determined in various vehicles. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were used to evaluate the microemulsification existence area, and the release rate of fenofibrate was investigated using an in vitro dissolution test. SMEDDS formulations were tested for microemulsifying properties, and the resultant microemulsions were evaluated for clarity, precipitation, and particle size distribution. Formulation development and screening was done based on results obtained from phase diagrams and characteristics of resultant microemulsions. The optimized formulation for in vitro dissolution and pharmacodynamic studies was composed of Labrafac CM10 (31.5%), Tween 80 (47.3%), and polyethylene glycol 400 (12.7%). The SMEDDS formulation showed complete release in 15 minutes as compared with the plain drug, which showed a limited dissolution rate. Comparative pharmacodynamic evaluation was investigated in terms of lipid-lowering efficacy, using a Triton-induced hypercholesterolemia model in rats. The SMEDDS formulation significantly reduced serum lipid levels in phases I and II of the Triton test, as compared with plain fenofibrate. The optimized formulation was then subjected to stability studies as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines and was found to be stable over 12 months. Thus, the study confirmed that the SMEDDS formulation can be used as a possible alternative to traditional oral formulations of fenofibrate to improve its bioavailability.     

口服固体自微乳化给药系统的研究进展

目的对新近发展的固体自微乳化给药系统（S-SMEDDS）文献进行综述。方法查阅近年国内外相关文献并进行归纳和总结。结果对固体自微乳的载体、固化技术以及缓控释制剂进行了探讨,为研究水难溶性药物的生物利用度及适合药物释放特性的S-SMEDDS技术提供相关参考。结论固体自微乳化系统可以显著提高难溶性药物的口服生物利用度,且兼顾了液态自微乳和固体制剂二者的优势,是一个极具潜力的新型制剂。     

Characterization and evaluation of self-microemulsifying sustained-release pellet formulation of puerarin for oral delivery

The present study aims to develop self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) in sustained-release pellets of puerarin to enhance the oral bioavailability of puerarin. The performances of puerarin-SMEDDS including oils, emulsifiers, and co-emulsifiers were evaluated. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams shows that the optimized formulation consisted of castor oil as the oil phase, Cremophor EL as the emulsifier, and 1,2-propanediol as the co-emulsifier. SMEDDS sustained-release pellets were prepared via extrusion-spheronization. The particle size distributions of the formulations were determined using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. The mean particle size was 50 ± 8 nm. The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of the puerarin-SMEDDS sustained-release pellets and puerarin tablets were evaluated and compared in beagle dogs. The absolute bioavailability of the puerarin-SMEDDS sustained-release pellets was enhanced by approximately 2.6-fold compared with that of the puerarin tablet. The relative bioavailability (F(rel)) of the SMEDDS pellets was 259.7% compared with the tablet group. The results demonstrated that the puerarin-SMEDDS sustained-release pellets had a sustained-release effect, and could remarkably improve the oral bioavailability of puerarin.