Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Self-Nanoemulsification of Healthy Oils to Enhance the Solubility of Lipophilic Drugs
Published on: July 27, 2022
Formulation and biopharmaceutical evaluation of silymarin using SMEDDS
Jong Soo Woo1, Tae-Seo Kim, Jae-Hyun Park
1Pharmaceutical Research Lab. Hanmi Pharm. Co., Hwaseong 445-913, Korea.
Abstract:
Silymarin has been used to treat hepatobiliary diseases. However, it has a low bioavailability after being administered orally on account of its low solubility in water. In order to improve the dissolution rate, silymarin was formulated in the form of a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS). The optimum formulation of SMEDDS containing silymarin was obtained based on the study of pseudo-ternary phase diagram. The SMEDDS consisted of 15% silymarin, 10% glyceryl monooleate as the oil phase, a mixture of polysorbate 20 and HCO-50 (1:1) as the surfactant, Transcutol as the cosurfactant with a surfactant/cosurfactant ratio of 1. The mean droplet size of the oil phase in the microemulsion formed from the SMEDDS was 67 nm. The % release of silybin from the SMEDDS after 6 hours was 2.5 times higher than that from the reference capsule. After its oral administration to rats, the bioavailability of the drug from the SMEDDS was 3.6 times higher than the reference capsule.
Related Concept Videos
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Bioavailability
Bioavailability Enhancement: Determination and Conceptual Approaches in Overcoming Bioavailability Problems
Biopharmaceutical Factors Influencing Drug Product Design: Overview
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Polymorphic Form-Related and Particle Size-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence
Formulation and Manufacturing Process: Physical Attributes of Generic Tablets and Capsules
Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Stability Enhancement and GI Retention