Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles in Enhancing Oral Bioavailability of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

Background Breviscapine (BVP) is one of the extracts of several flavonoids of Erigeron breviscapus, which has been widely used in the treatment of cerebral infarction and its sequelae, cerebral thrombus, coronary heart disease, and angina pectoris. But BVP has poor solubility.Objective The objective of the study is to develop mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) that can be loaded with a drug with poor water solubility. The MSNs, which were designed for oral administration, enhanced both the dissolution rate and drug loading capacity.Methods The use of MSNs as an oral drug delivery system was investigated by SEM, TEM, BET-BJH, XRD, FT-IR, and HPLC. Additionally, we examined the oral bioavailability of BVP loaded onto MSNs and examined the cellular cytotoxicity of MSNs.Results The results indicate that the oral bioavailability of BVP after loading onto MSNs was greater than that of a marketed product. Furthermore, we studied the mechanism by which MSNs enhance the oral absorption of BVP.Conclusion MSNs have the potential to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs by accelerating the drug dissolution rate.