Three state-of-the-art drug delivery vehicles engineered by nanostructuring lipid colloids within solid particle matrices were fabricated for the oral delivery of the poorly water-soluble, weak base, cinnarizine (CIN). The lipid and solid phase of each formulation was varied to systematically analyze the impact of key material characteristics, such as nanostructure and surface chemistry, on the in vitro and in vivo fate of CIN. The three systems formulated were: silica-stabilized lipid cubosomes (SSLC), silica-solid lipid hybrid (SSLH), and polymer-lipid hybrid (PLH) particles. Significant biopharmaceutical advantages were presented for CIN when solubilized in the polymer (poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid; PLGA) and lipid phase of PLH particles compared to the lipid phases of SSLC and SSLH particles. In vitro dissolution in simulated intestinal conditions highlighted reduced precipitation of CIN when administered within PLH particles, given by a 4-5-fold improvement in the extent of CIN dissolution compared to the other delivery vehicles. Furthermore, CIN solubilization was enhanced 1.5-fold and 6-fold under simulated fasted state lipid digestion conditions when formulated with PLH particles compared to SSLH and SSLC particles, respectively. In vivo pharmacokinetics correlated well with in vitro solubilization data, whereby oral CIN bioavailability in rats, when encapsulated in the corresponding formulations, increased from SSLC < SSLH < PLH. The pharmacokinetic data obtained throughout this study indicated a synergistic effect between PLGA nanoparticles and lipid droplets in preventing CIN precipitation and thus, enhancing oral absorption. This synergy can be harnessed to efficiently deliver challenging poorly water-soluble, weak bases through oral administration.

The high internal surface area and drug solubilizing capacity of liquid crystal lipids makes them promising oral drug delivery systems. Pluronic F127 is typically used to disperse highly viscous cubic liquid crystal lipids into cubosomes; however, such copolymers alter the internal structure and provide little control over enzymatic digestion. This study aimed to use hydrophilic silica nanoparticles to stabilize glyceryl monooleate (GMO) cubosomes prepared by ultrasonication. We investigate the influence of silica nanoparticles size and concentration on the physical (colloidal) and chemical (enzymatic digestion) stability, as well as in vitro solubilization of cinnarizine as a poorly soluble model drug. Silica stabilized nanostructured liquid crystal dispersions (120 nm to150 nm in diameter and zeta potentials of-30 mV to -60 mV) were successfully prepared with excellent long-term stability (<10% size change after 30 days). Silica stabilized GMO cubosomes demonstrated reduced enzymatic digestion compared to pluronic F127 stabilized cubosomes. This reduced digestion was attributed to a combination of adsorbed silica nanoparticles acting as a physical barrier and excess dispersed silica adsorbing/scavenging the lipase enzyme. Under simulated intestinal digestion conditions, silica stabilized GMO cubosomes showed a greater solubilization capacity for cinnarizine, which precipitated in non-crystalline form, in comparison to pure drug suspensions or pluronic F127 stabilized GMO cubosomes. Silica nanoparticle stabilized GMO liquid crystal dispersions are a promising oral delivery vehicle.