title: Towards sustainability: new approaches to nano-drug preparation.
abstract: The conversion of drugs into drug nanoparticles (nano-drugs) represents a feasible method to enhance bioavailability of otherwise sparingly soluble-drugs. Nano-drugs enhance bioavailability through the improvement of dissolution rate and saturation solubility of drugs, by virtue of their small sizes. Nano-drugs available in the market are usually produced by top-down methods, such as wet milling and high pressure homogenization. These conventional top-down methods, however, suffer from high energy and time requirement, as well as wide and inconsistent nano-drug size distribution. Furthermore, commercially available nano-drugs are predominantly crystalline while amorphous nano-drugs are largely neglected despite their propensity to generate high saturation solubility. In this review, nonconventional methods to prepare crystalline and amorphous nano-drugs are discussed, with the bioavailability enhancing characteristics highlighted. Both top-down and bottom-up methods are covered, finally, a sustainability-based perspective comparing amorphous and crystalline nano-drugs is presented.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459. kunnong@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Wean Sin
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Cheow
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Kunn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hadinoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D003460:Crystallization; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010316:Particle Size; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations