REVIEW ON SELF-EMULSIFYING DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS (SEDDs)

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) have been mainly investigated to enhance the oral bioavailability of drugs belonging to class II of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System. However, in the past few years, they have shown promising outcomes in the oral delivery of various types of therapeutic agents. In the early 1990s, solid lipid nanoparticles/ micro particles have been used as a drug carrier system and for sustaining the release of incorporated drugs. The SLN/SLMs are known to be solid at room temperature and they are classified within the submicron size range (50 – 1000 nm), hence incorporated drugs had a lower mobility than in the liquid oil. These microparticles have the potential to act as drug carrier systems, and as polymers. Their properties include physiologically compatibility, physiochemically stability and large-scale production. In microparticles/nanoparticles, preparation of the lipids used are very compactible and thus reduce toxicity. Solid lipid micro- or nano particles could be used in encapsulating lipophilic compounds. A suitable particle formulation could be used to achieve protein stabilization or a polymer mixture. Lipids, surfactants and water/ solvent are the major raw materials used in the preparation of micro/nanoparticles.

In the preparation of micro/nanoparticles different techniques used include: supercritical fluid method, high pressure homogenization, ultra-sonication/high speed homogenization, solvent evaporation method, solvent emulsification-diffusion method, microemulsion based method, spray drying method double emulsion method, precipitation technique and film-ultrasound dispersion.

Keywords: SEDDS, Microparticles, Microemulsion, Nanoparticles.