Nanocrystal Technology, Characterization and Pharmaceutical Applications

Aijaz A Sheikh, Amol J Giri*, Arif Sheikh, RH Kale and KR Biyani

Today one of the greatest challenges in drug delivery is the poor solubility of new chemical entities. Approximately seventy to ninety percent of new chemical entities are having solubility issues. One relatively simple approach to improve drug dissolution and solubility properties is formulation as nanocrystals. Drug nanocrystals are solid nanosized drug particles surrounded by a stabilizer layer; sometimes they are also referred to as solid micelles. Typically, their size ranges from approximately 200 to 800 nm, depending on the application. Drug nanocrystals have comparatively simple structures which make them attractive for the formulation for poorly soluble drugs, and their capability to improve the dissolution in vitro is easily demonstrated. The present review basically deals with the nanocrystals, its physical properties, current technologies for producing drug nanocrystals i.e. top-down, bottom-up, and combinative. The review also focuses on sterilization, stability and characterization of nanocrystals with its pharmaceutical applications.