Toward a better understanding of metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of low-solubility, low-permeability natural medicines

Abstract

Today, it is very challenging to develop new active pharmaceutical ingredients. Developing good preparations of well-recognized natural medicines is certainly a practical and economic strategy. Low-solubility, low-permeability natural medicines (LLNMs) possess valuable advantages such as effectiveness, relative low cost and low toxicity, which is shown by the presence of popular products on the market. Understanding the in vivo metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of LLNMs contributes to overcoming their associated problems, such as low absorption and low bioavailability. In this review, the structure-based metabolic reactions of LLNMs and related enzymatic systems, cellular and bodily pharmacological effects and metabolic influences, drug–drug interactions involved in metabolism and microenvironmental changes, and pharmacokinetics and dose-dependent/linear pharmacokinetic models are comprehensively evaluated. This review suggests that better pharmacological activity and pharmacokinetic behaviors may be achieved by modifying the metabolism through using nanotechnology and nanosystem in combination with the suitable administration route and dosage. It is noteworthy that novel nanosystems, such as triggered-release liposomes, nucleic acid polymer nanosystems and PEGylated dendrimers, in addition to prodrug and intestinal penetration enhancer, demonstrate encouraging performance. Insights into the metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of LLNMs may help pharmacists to identify new LLNM formulations with high bioavailability and amazing efficacy and help physicians carry out LLNM-based precision medicine and individualized therapies.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Low solubility–low permeability
• natural medicines
• metabolism
• pharmacokinetics
• pharmacodynamics
• drug delivery systems

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Chongqing Science and Technology Committee under Grant [number cstc2017shmsA130028] and [number cstc2016zdcy-ztzx0016]; and Chongqing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau under Grant [number cx2018104].