Zhejiang University, Institute of Pharmaceutics, 388 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China.
Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2010 Apr;7(4):445-60. doi: 10.1517/17425241003596337.
Microemulsions have been studied extensively as potential drug delivery vehicles for poorly water-soluble drugs. An understanding of the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical characteristics of the microemulsions according to administration routes will provide guidance for designing the formulations of microemulsions.
In this paper, the use and the characteristics of microemulsions as drug delivery vehicles are reviewed. As the formulations of the microemulsion always include a great amount of surfactant and co-surfactant, which may cause hemolysis or histopathological alterations of the tissue, the potential toxicity or the irritancy of microemulsions is also discussed in this paper.
Developments of microemulsions for poorly water-soluble drugs in recent years are included in this review. Several factors limiting the commercial or clinical use of microemulsions are also discussed.
Considering the potential in enhanced drug uptake/permeation and facing the limitations, their unique properties make microemulsions a promising vehicle for poorly water-soluble drugs.
微乳已被广泛研究作为潜在的药物传递载体为水溶性差的药物。根据给药途径，了解微乳的物理化学和生物药剂学特性将为设计微乳制剂提供指导。
本文综述了微乳作为药物传递载体的应用和特点。由于微乳的制剂通常包括大量的表面活性剂和助表面活性剂，这可能导致溶血或组织的组织病理学改变，本文还讨论了微乳的潜在毒性或刺激性。
本综述包括近年来用于水溶性差的药物的微乳制剂的发展情况。还讨论了限制微乳制剂商业或临床应用的几个因素。
考虑到增强药物摄取/渗透的潜力和面临的限制，它们的独特性质使微乳成为水溶性差的药物有前途的载体。
