Nanoemulsions: Formulation, characterization, biological fate, and potential role against COVID-19 and other viral outbreaks

Hossam H Tayeb; Raed Felimban; Sarah Almaghrabi; Nojod Hasaballah

doi:10.1016/j.colcom.2021.100533

Nanoemulsions: Formulation, characterization, biological fate, and potential role against COVID-19 and other viral outbreaks

Colloid Interface Sci Commun. 2021 Nov:45:100533. doi: 10.1016/j.colcom.2021.100533. Epub 2021 Oct 20.

Authors

Hossam H Tayeb^{1

2}, Raed Felimban^{3

2}, Sarah Almaghrabi^{1

2}, Nojod Hasaballah¹

Affiliations

¹ Nanomedicine Unit, Center of Innovations in Personalized Medicine (CIPM), King Abdulaziz University, 21589 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, 21589 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
³ 3D Bioprinting Unit, Center of Innovations in Personalized Medicine (CIPM), King Abdulaziz University, 21589 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Viral diseases are emerging as global threats. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has severe global impacts. Safety, dosage, and potency of vaccines recently approved for emergency use against SARS-CoV-2 need further evaluation. There is still no effective treatment against COVID-19; therefore, safe, and effective vaccines or therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed. Oil-in-water nanoemulsions (O/W NEs) are emerging as sophisticated, protective, and therapeutic platforms. Encapsulation capacity, which offers better drug pharmacokinetics, coupled with the tunable surfaces present NEs as promising tools for pharmaceutical applications. The challenges facing drug discovery, and the advancements of NEs in drug delivery demonstrate the potential of NEs against evolving diseases, like COVID-19. Here we summarize current COVID-19 knowledge and discuss the composition, stability, preparation, characterization, and biological fate of O/W NEs. We also provide insights into NE structural-functional properties that may contribute to therapeutic or preventative solutions against COVID-19.

Keywords: Biosurfactants; COVID-19; Drug delivery; Nanoemulsions; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Review