Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Solubility Enhancement01:16

Bioavailability Enhancement: Drug Solubility Enhancement

298
Body:Bioavailability is a critical factor in determining a drug's effectiveness. It refers to the proportion of a drug that enters the circulation when introduced into the body and is, as a result, able to have an active effect. Enhancing bioavailability is essential for drugs with poor solubility, as it can significantly impact their therapeutic efficacy. Various methods are employed to increase the solubility of drugs, thereby enhancing their bioavailability.Micronization and nanonization are...
298
Solubility03:00

Solubility

21.4K
Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules,...
21.4K
Solubility Equilibria: Overview01:09

Solubility Equilibria: Overview

1.7K
When a substance such as sodium chloride is added to water, it dissolves, forming an aqueous solution. The extent of dissolution is called solubility. The process of dissolution can exist in equilibrium, just like other chemical processes. Solubility equilibria are also called precipitation equilibria because the process of solubility can be reversible. The reverse of the solubility process is called precipitation.
Solubility is important in biological and environmental processes. A notable...
1.7K
Factors Affecting Solubility04:01

Factors Affecting Solubility

37.5K
Compared with pure water, the solubility of an ionic compound is less in aqueous solutions containing a common ion (one also produced by dissolution of the ionic compound). This is an example of a phenomenon known as the common ion effect, which is a consequence of the law of mass action that may be explained using Le Chȃtelier’s principle. Consider the dissolution of silver iodide:
37.5K
Extraction: Advanced Methods00:56

Extraction: Advanced Methods

1.2K
Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...
1.2K
Solution Formation02:16

Solution Formation

38.4K
There is no one solvent that can dissolve every type of solute. Some substances that readily dissolve in a certain solvent might be insoluble in a different solvent. A simple way to predict which substances dissolve in which solvent is the phrase "like dissolves like". This means that polar substances, such as salt and sugar, dissolve in a polar substance like water. In contrast, non-polar substances are more soluble in non-polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride.
This selective...
38.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Chitosan-coated cyclodextrin-based niosomes enable enhanced nose-to-brain delivery of rivastigmine and asiaticoside for Alzheimer's disease.

International journal of biological macromolecules·2026
Same author

Cyclodextrin-Based Niosomal Delivery of Imatinib against A549 Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Cells.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Cyclodextrin-based formulations for pediatric patients: pharmaceutical prospectives and toxicological evaluation.

The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology·2025
Same author

The Chemical Stability Characterization and Kinetics of Statins in Aqueous Cyclodextrin Ocular Preparations: A Formulation Perspective.

Pharmaceutics·2025
Same author

A comprehensive nomenclature system for cyclodextrins.

Carbohydrate polymers·2025
Same author

A recent update of water-soluble polymers in cyclodextrin-based formulations for mucosal drug delivery.

Carbohydrate polymers·2025
Same journal

A "three-in-one" nose-to-brain delivery strategy: intranasal vancomycin spray achieves simultaneous clearance of pneumococcal colonization, bacteremia, and meningitis.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same journal

10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid /matrine deep eutectic solvent encapsulated in hyalurosomes for enhanced transdermal delivery and antioxidant efficacy.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same journal

Dual-trigger hyaluronic acid nanoprodrug incorporating a 2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl linker for CD44-targeted and glutathione-responsive drug delivery.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same journal

Polymeric mixed micellar nanogel enhances dermal delivery and therapeutic efficacy of tofacitinib citrate.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same journal

Localized gold nanoparticles-mediated photothermal therapy for head and neck cancer: in vivo proof-of-concept.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same journal

Design and evaluation of a pump-free ultrasonic atomization-driven hollow microneedle array for transdermal drug delivery.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid
05:08

Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid

Published on: September 20, 2017

17.8K

Drug solubilization by complexation.

Thorsteinn Loftsson1

  • 1Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|August 27, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Enhancing drug solubility is crucial for effective pharmaceutical formulations. Complexing agents, including coordination, organic molecular, inclusion complexes, and pharmacosomes, offer viable strategies to improve drug solubility for various delivery routes.

Keywords:
Aqueous solutionComplexComplexing agentDrugSolubilitySolubilization

More Related Videos

Isolation of Labile Multi-protein Complexes by in vivo Controlled Cellular Cross-Linking and Immuno-magnetic Affinity Chromatography
10:50

Isolation of Labile Multi-protein Complexes by in vivo Controlled Cellular Cross-Linking and Immuno-magnetic Affinity Chromatography

Published on: March 9, 2010

18.0K
Flash NanoPrecipitation for the Encapsulation of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Polymeric Nanoparticles
10:12

Flash NanoPrecipitation for the Encapsulation of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Polymeric Nanoparticles

Published on: January 7, 2019

23.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid
05:08

Solubility of Hydrophobic Compounds in Aqueous Solution Using Combinations of Self-assembling Peptide and Amino Acid

Published on: September 20, 2017

17.8K
Isolation of Labile Multi-protein Complexes by in vivo Controlled Cellular Cross-Linking and Immuno-magnetic Affinity Chromatography
10:50

Isolation of Labile Multi-protein Complexes by in vivo Controlled Cellular Cross-Linking and Immuno-magnetic Affinity Chromatography

Published on: March 9, 2010

18.0K
Flash NanoPrecipitation for the Encapsulation of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Polymeric Nanoparticles
10:12

Flash NanoPrecipitation for the Encapsulation of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Polymeric Nanoparticles

Published on: January 7, 2019

23.7K

Area of Science:

  • Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Drug Delivery
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Therapeutic drug efficacy and formulation depend on adequate aqueous solubility.
  • Poorly soluble drugs present significant challenges in oral, topical, and parenteral delivery systems.
  • Solubilizing complexing agents represent a key strategy to overcome drug solubility limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review various types of solubilizing complexing agents.
  • To discuss their application in pharmaceutical product development.
  • To highlight methods for enhancing the aqueous solubility of poorly soluble drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on complexation techniques.
  • Categorization of complexing agents based on their structure and mechanism.
  • Discussion of specific examples like tetracycline-metal ion complexes, organic molecular complexes, inclusion complexes (e.g., cyclodextrins), and pharmacosomes.

Main Results:

  • Several classes of complexing agents can significantly enhance drug aqueous solubility.
  • Coordination complexes, organic molecular complexes, inclusion complexes, and pharmacosomes offer distinct mechanisms for solubility enhancement.
  • Pharmacosomes demonstrate potential for improving solubility in both aqueous and organic solvents.

Conclusions:

  • Solubilizing complexing agents are essential tools for pharmaceutical formulation of poorly soluble drugs.
  • The choice of complexing agent depends on the drug's properties and desired delivery route.
  • Further research into novel complexation strategies can expand therapeutic options.