Formulation Development of Nifedipine through Nanotechnology: A Comprehensive Review.

Background The therapeutic use of nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, is limited due to its poor solubility profile, rapid onset of its action, and short biological half-life. Many formulation techniques have been applied to improve the properties of the drug. Objective The objective of the study is to summarize the nanotechnology approaches designed to improve the therapeutic and pharmacokinetic properties of nifedipine till 2020. Methods The related articles were searched until 28th March, 2020, with the specific keywords, in Pubmed and google scholar, excluding review articles. Results The discussion showed that among the nano-carriers used to improve the pharmacological property of the drug, lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, crystalline nanoparticles, and nano-emulsions have been used widely. Nanotechnology has been found efficient in improving the solubility profile of nifedipine, achieving sustained and controlled release, and achieving targeted and local delivery and transdermal drug delivery. By exploiting nano-formulations, new windows of therapeutic applications can be achieved. Furthermore, micelle media, polymeric nanoparticles, and microcrystalline nanoparticles have been used to develop a photostable formulation. Conclusion The technological innovations in the field of nanomedicine have paved many ways for delivering nifedipine and such sparingly water-soluble compounds.