Lipid-based Nanosized Delivery Systems for Fluoroquinolones: a Review

The class of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, due to its core chemical modifications, is considered as wide-spectrum antibacterial drugs with useful pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. However, because of their poor solubility in water, they are used as salts (lactates or hydrochlorides). Fluoroquinolones, bacterial membranes and eukaryotic cell membranes interactions are well known and their permeation properties are well investigated. In fact, they are concentrated inside the cells and intracellular compartments. Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery has developed many supra-molecular structures that have been used to improve both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. The main results of the published papers showed reduction of toxicity, higher intracellular concentrations (both bacteria and eukaryotic), enhancement of antimicrobial activity, prolonged drug release, decreased mortality in animal model studies, improved water solubility and improved in vitro efficacy against intracellular pathogens.