Research, development, and sales of drug-delivery systems are increasing at a rapid pace throughout the world. This worldwide trend will intensify in the next decade as cuts in public health expenses demand lower costs and higher efficacy. To meet this demand, many efficient drugs currently in use will be reformulated within delivery systems that can be value-added for optimal molecular activity. In addition to the health sector, the cosmetic, agricultural, chemical, and food industries operate in an open marketplace where free and aggressive competition demands novel coating techniques with enhanced effectiveness at the lowest possible cost.
Currently, microencapsulation techniques are most widely used in the development and production of improved drug- and food-delivery systems. These techniques frequently result in products containing numerous variably coated particles. The exact number of particles needed to form a single administered dose varies as a function of the final particle size and can lie in either the micro- or nanometer size range for micro- and nanoparticulate delivery systems, respectively.
The chapters of this book, which have been contributed by leading authorities in the field, are arranged logically according to the methods of preparation, characterization, and applications of the various particulate-delivery systems.