Ternary Solid Dispersions as an Alternative Approach to Enhance Pharmacological Activity

Poor solubility and limited bioavailability remain significant challenges in developing oral drugs, affecting the clinical efficacy of many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Enhancing solubility has become a primary focus in improving API bioavailability. Among the most commonly employed strategies are amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) and co-amorphous systems, collectively called binary systems. However, these systems often suffer from wettability and physicochemical limitations, which can hinder drug release. Adding a third component to form ternary solid dispersions (TSDs) significantly enhance drug release and bioavailability, ultimately improving therapeutic outcomes. While numerous studies have investigated the application of TSDs in enhancing API pharmacological activity, only limited studies have a comprehensive analysis of this approach. Therefore, this review aims to summarize and elucidate the mechanisms of TSD systems in improving pharmacological activity. The review includes available literature from Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar that utilizes the keywords "ternary solid dispersion" and "pharmacological activity", summarizing the importance of TSDs in therapeutic formulations for enhancing pharmacological activity. Various in vitro and in vivo studies consistently demonstrate that TSDs outperform binary systems by significantly enhancing the pharmacological effects of diverse therapeutic agents, including those with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, anticholinesterase, antihyperlipidemic, anti-hypoglycemic, anti-Alzheimer's, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective properties. This approach holds significant promise as an alternative for the formulation of low-solubility pharmaceuticals.