Microemulsions: A Potential Novel Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Microemulsions are one of the best candidates as potential drug delivery system because of their enhanced drug solubilization, long shelf life and ease of preparation as well as administration. Microemulsions are thermodynamically stable, colloidal dispersion of water and oil stabilized by surfactant and co-surfactant. In recent years, numerous studies have suggested that microemulsion [oil in water (o/w) or water in oil (w/o)] as have tremendous potential to improve the solubilisation of lipophilic drugs and hence enhances their bioavailability. It also provides protection against oxidation and enzymatic hydrolysis. They have emerged as novel vehicles for drug delivery that allow sustained or controlled release for topical, ocular, percutaneous, parenteral and transdermal administration of medicaments. Microemulsions can be simply differentiated from emulsions by their low viscosity, transparency and more accurately their thermodynamic stability. In this review article, we discuss about the various advantages, limitations, structure, types, theories, applications, preparations, characterization and patentable formulations of Microemulsions. The design and development of a new drug delivery system with the purpose of improving the efficiency of existing of drug is a continuing process in pharmaceutical research. As there are any types of drug delivery systems that have been established, one in particular the colloidal drug delivery system has great potential for attaining the goal in drug targeting.

Full text



*Corresponding Author:

Microemulsions: A Potential Novel Drug Delivery System
Abstract

  




      


Keywords:

Citation:
et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

 
1M. Pharm, Department of Pharmaceutics, Vidyabharti Trust College of Pharmacy, India
2M. Pharm, Department of Pharmaceutics, Vidyabharti Trust College of Pharmacy, India
3Principal, Vidyabharti Trust College of Pharmacy, India
Dhruti P Mehta1*, Hemendrasinh J Rathod2, and Dhiren P Shah3



Introduction
 
  






 




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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 











Structure of Microemulsion







Figure 1: 


Types of Microemulsions [11-14]






O/W microemulsion or Winsor I
W/O microemulsion or Winsor II



Citation:
et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 
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Figure 2: 
Figure 3: 

 


Bicontineous microemulsion or Winsor III




Difference between Emulsion and Microemulsions [15-17]
Single phase homogeneous mixture or Winsor IV



Citation:
et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 




Thermodynamic theory [19]
Emulsions Microemulsions
  
 Static 
  
 



  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 






Table 1: 


Theories of Microemulsion Formulation [18-20]










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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 
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

   




Interfacial Theory [20]
Solubilisation Theory
Ingredients of Microemulsion [8,14,21]
Oil Phase [22]
Aqueous Phase
Surfactant [23]
Cationic surfactant






    






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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

















  

Anionic Surfactant
Non-ionic surfactant
Zwitterionic surfactant
Co-solvent [24]
Methods of Preparation Of Microemulsion [25]
Phase Titration Method (Spontaneous emulsification method)








S. No. Patent No. Type of Formulation References
  

et al
   
   et al
  

et al
   et al
Table 2: 



Citation:
et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Figure 4: 
S No. Category Drug Route Benefit
    
    
    
    
    
Table 3: 
Phase Inversion Method
Property of surfactant

in-vitro and
in-vivo    





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Factor Affecting Formulation of Microemulsion System [26-28]


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Citation:
et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Property of oil phase
Packing ratio [29]
Temperature [30]
Solubility Studies of Drug [32]
Advantages of Microemulsion Based Systems [1, 33-37]
Construction of Pseudoternary Phase Diagram [31]

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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Disadvantages of Microemulsion Based Systems [32-34, 38-40]
Application of Microemulsion in Delivery Of Drug [41-44]
Oral delivery
Parenteral delivery
Topical delivery
Ophthalmic delivery

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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Nasal delivery
Scattering techniques
Physical appearance
Measurement of pH
Globule size and zeta potential measurements
Evaluation Parameters of Microemulsion System [45-53]
Drug stability
Viscosity measurement
Electrical conductivity
Research Work Carried Out on Microemulsions [54-58]
Drug solubility
In-vitro permeability study
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



Citation:
et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Conclusion
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  
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The Journal of Physical
Chemistry 


Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 
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et al Journal of Control Release
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Langmuir
Journal of Colloid and Interface
Science 
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 

Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science 

The Journal of Physical Chemistry 
 et al Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 
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
International Journal of Phar-
maceutics 
et alInternationale Pharmaceutica Sciencia 
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et alRecent patents on drug delivery and formu-
lation 
et alCritical reviews in
therapeutic drug carrier systems 
 NanoStructured Materials 
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 Current Science 


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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

AAPS Pharm-
SciTech 
et alIranian Journal of Pharmaceutical
Research 


International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology 
 Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research 

et alJournal of drug discovery and therapeutics
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 International Journal of
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The AAPS Journal 
et al International Journal of Pharmaceutics 
International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Re-
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Review and Research 

et alCurrent Drug Delivery
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et al Iranian journal of Pharmaceutical research

et alJournal of
Pharmaceutical Sciences 
et alEuropean Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biop-
harmceutics
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Journal of Colloid Interface Science 
et al
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 
et al
Journal of Controlled Release 
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Sciences
et al
In vitro and In vivoClinical Cancer Research 


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et alInternational Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

et al
Pharmaceutical Research
et al
Pharmaceutical Research 
et alInternational Journal of Advances in
Pharmaceutical Sciences 
 et al Journal Phar-
maceutical Sciences
In Vitro Dis-
solution Technologies 
et alCurrent Drug Delivery 
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et al
International Journal of Pharmaceutics 


Journal Physical Chemistry 
 et al Archives of Pharmaceutical Research 
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et alArchives of Pharmacal Research 
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et al
International Journal of Pharmaceutics 
et alAAPS Pharma-
ceutical Science Technology 
et alAAPS Pharmaceutical
Science Technology 
Volume 1 Issue 1 September 2015
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