Nanoemulsion formulation of florfenicol improves bioavailability in pigs

Nanotechnology applications in medicine have seen a tremendous growth in the past decade and are being employed to enhance the stability and bioavailability of lipophilic substances, such as florfenicol. This study aimed to examine the pharmacokinetic properties of the formulated oil-in-water florfenicol-loaded nanoemulsion (FF-NE). FF-NE and florfenicol control (Nuflor) were administered to the pigs at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Nanoemulsion formulation of florfenicol was highly influenced in vivo plasma profile. The in vivo absorption study in pigs indicated that Cmax (14.54 μg/mL) was significantly higher in FF-NE, 3.42 times higher than the marketed formulation. In comparison with the control group, the relative bioavailability of formulated nanoemulsion was up to 134.5%. Assessment of bioequivalence using log-transformed data showed that the 90% confidence intervals (90% CI) of Cmax and AUC₀-∞ were 2.48-4.60 and 1.21-1.72, respectively.