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Particle size reduction to the nanometer range: a promising approach to improve buccal absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs

Authors Rao S, Yunmei S , Peddie, Evans AM

Published 20 June 2011 Volume 2011:6 Pages 1245—1251

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S19151

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 5



Shasha Rao, Yunmei Song, Frank Peddie, Allan M Evans
Sansom Institute for Health Research, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Abstract: Poorly water-soluble drugs, such as phenylephrine, offer challenging problems for buccal drug delivery. In order to overcome these problems, particle size reduction (to the nanometer range) and cyclodextrin complexation were investigated for permeability enhancement. The apparent solubility in water and the buccal permeation of the original phenylephrine coarse powder, a phenylephrine–cyclodextrin complex and phenylephrine nanosuspensions were ­characterized. The particle size and particle surface properties of phenylephrine nanosuspensions were used to optimize the size reduction process. The optimized phenylephrine nanosuspension was then freeze dried and incorporated into a multi-layered buccal patch, consisting of a small tablet adhered to a mucoadhesive film, yielding a phenylephrine buccal product with good dosage accuracy and improved mucosal permeability. The design of the buccal patch allows for drug incorporation without the need to change the mucoadhesive component, and is potentially suited to a range of poorly water-soluble compounds.

Keywords: buccal drug delivery, nanosuspension, solubility, permeation enhancement, mucoadhesion

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