Principles of Solubility

Abstract

Solubility is defined as the maximum quantity of a substance that can be completely dissolved in a given amount of solvent, and represents a fundamental concept in fields of research such as chemistry, physics, food science, pharmaceutical, and biological sciences. The solubility of a substance becomes especially important in the pharmaceutical field because it often represents a major factor that controls the bioavailability of a drug substance. Moreover, solubility and solubility-related properties can also provide important information regarding the structure of drug substances, and in their range of possible intermolecular interactions. For these reasons, a comprehensive knowledge of solubility phenomena permits pharmaceutical scientists to develop an optimal understanding of a drug substance, to determine the ultimate form of the drug substance, and to yield information essential to the development and processing of its dosage forms.