Author(s)

Charles Lovelyn, Anthony A. Attama

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Nanoemulsions have attracted great attention in research, dosage form design and pharmacotherapy. This is as a result of a number of attributes peculiar to nanoemulsions such as optical clarity, ease of preparation, thermodynamic stability and increased surface area. Nanoemulsions also known as submicron emulsions serve as vehicles for the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as other bioactives. They are designed to address some of the problems associated with conventional drug delivery systems such as low bioavailability and noncompliance. The importance of design and development of emulsion nanocarrier systems aimed at controlling and/or improving required bioavailability levels of therapeutic agents cannot be overemphasized. Reducing droplet sizes to the nanoscale leads to some very interesting physical properties, such as optical transparency and unusual elastic behaviour. This review sheds light on the current state of nanoemulsions in the delivery of drugs and other bioactives. The morphology, formulation, characteristics and characterization of nanoemulsions were also addressed.

Nanoemulsion, Preparation, Characterization, Application in Drug Delivery, Patents

Lovelyn, C. and Attama, A. (2011) Current State of Nanoemulsions in Drug Delivery. Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology, 2, 626-639. doi: 10.4236/jbnb.2011.225075.