Nanostructured Silica Lipid Hybrid Microparticles: A Supersaturating Carrier for Water- and Lipid-resistant Compounds

Nanostructured silica-lipid hybrid (SLH) microparticles, which are fabricated based on Pickering emulsion templates, are reported to enhance the encapsulation efficiency of a weak base anthelmintic, albendazole (ABZ). ABZ exhibits poor solubility in aqueous solutions and in commonly used pharmaceutical surfactants and oils. The encapsulation of ABZ-SLH in a supersaturated but noncrystalline form was shown to enhance its dissolution kinetics (up to tenfold) in simulated gastric fluids, regardless of the presence of sink conditions that were representative of the influence of food intake.