Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle as a Potential Nanocarrier to Improve the Effectiveness of Antiobesity Drugs

Obesity is a global health issue characterized by an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat, defined as a body mass index (BMI) that exceeds 30 kg/m². Many antiobesity drugs, such as orlistat and quercetin, are often limited by poor solubility and bioavailability. These physicochemical limitations can lead to poor gastrointestinal absorption, erratic plasma drug concentrations, and ultimately, suboptimal therapeutic efficacy. This review employed a narrative approach with a structured literature search to summarize current advances in the use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) as drug delivery systems to improve the dissolution and pharmacological profiles of antiobesity compounds. The literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases with the keywords "obesity OR antiobesity AND mesoporous silica". The search included free full-text articles from the past ten years. A total of 106 articles were screened, and 11 were selected based on relevance to MSN-based delivery in in vitro or in vivo obesity studies. MSNs enhanced the dissolution profile of various antiobesity compounds, including orlistat, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate, and liraglutide. In vitro assays showed improved lipase inhibition, adipogenesis suppression, and DPP-4 enzyme inhibition. In vivo studies demonstrated significant improvements in triglyceride levels, blood glucose levels, body weight reduction, and food intake suppression. Functionalization of MSNs further enabled targeted and pH-responsive delivery, enhancing bioavailability and reducing systemic side effects. MSNs offer a promising nanocarrier platform to overcome limitations of conventional antiobesity therapies by improving drug solubility, stability, and targeted pharmacological activity. These findings support the potential of MSN-based formulations as innovative strategies in obesity treatment and need for further studies.