Chapter 11 - Nanoparticles for improvement in oral bioavailability

Abstract

This chapter is divided into five sections. Some of the basic concepts relevant to nanoparticles and their impact on bioavailability are covered in the introduction. Section 6.2 focuses on the effect of particle size and surface characteristics on the biodistribution and cellular uptake of nanoparticles. These characteristics, to a large extent, stipulate their pharmaceutical applications. Section 6.3 focuses on improvements in solubility, drug release, and stability characteristics achieved due to nanonization. The increased surface area modifies physical, chemical, and biological properties which results in improvement in drug solubility and permeability and, thus, a modification in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics response. The surface modification of nanoparticles is the subject matter of Section 6.4. Different criteria for the surface modification of nanoparticles are discussed, with a particular focus on biomedical applications of nanoparticles. In Section 6.5, improvements in oral bioavailability and performance resulting from the nanosizing are discussed.