Enhanced Hypoglycemic Activity of Metformin with the Reduction of the Particle Size

The particle size of the antihyperglycemic drug metformin has been reduced to the nano range. The structural and microstructural characterizations of pure metformin and nano-metformin have been carried out by the Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns and by analyzing UV-Vis absorption spectra. A docking study has also been performed to calculate the binding affinities of pure metformin and nano-metformin. To confirm the theoretical result of the docking study, an in vivo study has also been performed by administering both pure metformin and nano-metformin to 18-h-fasted normal mice. It has been confirmed that the FBGLs (fasting blood glucose levels) of mice have been reduced more in the case of nano-metformin compared to that of pure metformin. This in vivo result is in good agreement with the molecular docking result, which confirmed the higher binding efficacy of nano-metformin than that of pure metformin. This study proposes a new route to enhance the efficacy of a drug solely by reducing its particle size to the nanoscale without using any external agents.