Cyclodextrins and carrier systems

This paper describes two new possibilities of using cyclodextrins to increa se water solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs inten ded for targeting delivery by the oral or the parenteral route. They use ei ther amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticles or polymeric nanoparticles cont aining cyclodextrins. Amphiphilic skirt-shaped cyclodextrins, resulting fro m the esterification of primary hydroxyl groups by hydrocarbon chains varyi ng from C6 to C14, are capable of forming spontaneously nanoparticles which have been loaded with a series of steroid drugs. The drug in the amphiphil ic cyclodextrin nanoparticles is molecularly dispersed and can be released very rapidly. Poly(isobutylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles can be loaded with natural or hydroxypropyl cyclodextrins. This technique results in a signifi cant increase in the loading capacity of nanoparticles with a series of ste roids and in a very rapid release of the drug. Both methods are described a s well as their potential interest for water-insoluble drugs. (C) 1999 Publ ished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.