ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to review the characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the design of lipid micro- and nanoparticles (NPs) to be applied in the treatment of infectious diseases. It summarizes several approaches to combat infectious diseases by resorting to lipid-based delivery systems for oral administration and discusses the studies to assess pharmacokinetic properties and therapeutic efficacy. Several examples demonstrate that NPs are able to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of antimicrobial agents. Although oral administration is the most common route, it implies contact with an extremely acidic medium, with digestive enzymes, and with biliary salts. One strategy to overcome the limitation is to use NPs to protect the drug from the harsh conditions of the environment and to enhance its permeability. Lipid-based NPs exhibit other outstanding advantages, including improved kinetic stability, drug solubility, and controlled drug release. They can also reduce the cytotoxicity of antiparasitic drugs.
