Advances of Combinative Nanocrystal Preparation Technology for Improving the Insoluble Drug Solubility and Bioavailability

Abstract

The low solubility and bioavailability of aqueous insoluble drugs are critical challenges in the field of pharmaceuticals that need to be overcome. Nanocrystal technology, a novel pharmacological route to address the poor aqueous solubility problem of many poorly soluble drugs, has recently demonstrated great potential for industrial applications and developments. This review focuses on today’s preparation technologies, containing top-down, bottom-up, and combinative technology. Among them, the highlighted combinative technology can improve the efficiency of particle size reduction and overcome the shortcomings of a single technology. Then, the characterization methods of nanocrystal production are presented in terms of particle size, morphology, structural state, and surface property. After that, we introduced performance evaluations on the stability, safety, and the in vitro/in vivo dissolution of drug nanocrystals. Finally, the applications and prospects of nanocrystals in drug development are presented. This review may provide some references for the further development and optimization of poorly soluble drug nanocrystals.