Self Microemulsifying Nutraceutical and Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Many chemical entities and nutraceuticals are poor water soluble and show high lipophilicity. It’s difficult to formulate them into oral formulation because of its low aqueous solubility which ultimately affects bioavailability. To enhance the bioavailability of such drugs compounds, self microemulsifying drug delivery system is the reliable drug delivery system. In this system the drug is incorporated in the isotropic system and formulated as unit dosage form. Self microemulsifying drug delivery system is the novel emulsified system composed of anhydrous isotropic mixture of oils, surfactant, and co solvent and sometimes co surfactant. Drug is directly dispersed into the entire gastro intestinal tract with continuous peristaltic movement and drug is available in the solution form of microemulsion, absorbed through lymphatic system and bypasses the dissolution step. Hence they increase the patient compliance. The excipients are selected on basis of construction of ternary phase diagram. Self micro-emulsifying drug delivery system is very useful for drug in which drug dissolution is rate limiting step. This review describes the novel approaches and evaluation parameters of the self microemulsifying drug delivery system towards different classic drugs, proteins-peptides, and nutraceuticals in various oral microemulsion compositions and microstructures.