A Review on Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems: Strategy for Improving Oral Delivery of Poorly Soluble Drugs

About author
Ajit Kumar Yadav*, Chitresh Yadav, Alok Singh, Prevesh Kumar
Dept. of Pharmaceutics, Invertis Institute of Pharmacy, Invertis University, Bareilly, U.P, India
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract
Oral route is the easiest and most convenient route for drug administration. Oral drug delivery systems being the most cost-effective and leads the worldwide drug delivery market. The major problem in oral drug formulations is low and erratic bioavailability, which mainly results from poor aqueous solubility. This may lead to high inter- and intra subject variability, lack of dose proportionality and therapeutic failure. It is estimated that 40% of active substances are poorly water soluble. For the improvement of bio-availability of drugs with such properties presents one of the greatest challenges in drug formulations. Various technological strategies are reported in the literature including solid dispersions, cyclodextrins complex formation, or micronisation, and different technologies of drug delivery systems. Including these approaches self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) has gained more attention for enhancement of oral bio-availability with reduction in dose. SEDDS are isotropic mixtures of oil, surfactants, solvents and cosolvents/surfactants. The principal characteristic of these systems is their ability to form fine oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions or micro-emulsions upon mild agitation following dilution by an aqueous phase. For lipophilic drugs, which have dissolution rate-limited absorption, SEDDS may be a promising strategy to improve the rate and extent of oral absorption. This review article explains how self-emulsifying drug delivery systems can increase the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drug.
Key words: Self emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS), oil, co-surfactant, surfactant, self-micro-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS)