ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the translocation of nanoparticulate systems (NPSs) via the lymphatic system, and considers the hitherto less widely studied colonic targeting of NPSs. Dendrimer chemistry has been used to prepare monodisperse nanoparticles in order to investigate the relation between nanoparticle diameter and uptake from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Stability in the physiological conditions affecting oral drug delivery has been studied to determine which components have the best chance of surviving through the GIT. Lymphatic tissue in the colon, rectum, and appendix vermiform is usually not found in discrete patches, but is diffusely present in aggregate masses at irregular intervals. The gastrointestinal uptake and transport in the lymphatic circulation of drug-unloaded Solid–lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) was initially studied; labeled and unlabeled SLNs were administered duodenally to rats, at two different amounts in equal volumes. SLNs are the solidified droplets of microemulsions with a mean diameter of 80 to 200 nm; they can incorporate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs.
