Manju Nagpal

Solubility plays a vital role in achieving the therapeutic efficacy of a drug from a dosage form. Advances in molecular screening techniques for identification of potential drug molecules investigated an increased number of new pharmacologically active lipophilic compounds that are poorly water soluble. About 40% of new chemical entities have been discovered as poorly water soluble. Numbers of technical strategies have been investigated for improving bioavailability like solid dispersions, cyclodextrins, micronization, surfactants, nanoparticles, lipids, permeation enhancers etc. It is a great task for pharmaceutical scientist to formulate oral dosage forms of these drug candidates with sufficient bioavailability. Among the various approaches to improve oral bioavailability of these drug candidates, Self- dispersing lipid formulations (SDLF’s) is one of the approaches used to improve the bioavailability of lipophilic drugs. SDLF’s is very broad area which covers Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS), Self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) and Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) as carrier systems that have been developed. This review article covers basics of SDLF’s particularly SMEDDS and recent research updates in SDLF’s i.e. the research carried out and most recent solid SDLF’s.

Phytosomes are recently introduced herbal formulations that are better absorbed, and as a result produce better bioavailability and actions than the conventional phytomolecules or botanical extracts. This is an advanced form of herbal formulations which contains the bioactive phytoconstituents of herbal extract bounded in a lipophilic carrier. Phytosome technology has been effectively used to enhance the bioavailability of many popular herbal extracts and phytoconstituents including Ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, grape seed, green tea, hawthorn, ginseng etc and can be developed for various therapeutic uses or dietary supplements.