Hybrid Nanomaterials that Mimic the Food Effect: Controlling Enzymatic Digestion for Enhanced Oral Drug Absorption

Easily digested: SiO2–lipid hybrid microparticles with specific nanostructured interiors were generated from submicrometer-sized emulsion templates based on mesoporous and non-porous silica nanoparticles. These functional lipid-based microparticles can be used to mimic the pharmaceutical food effect and enhance drug absorption by controlling the enzymatic digestion of lipid colloids (see scheme; ○ oil solution, ▴ lipid–nanoparticle hybrid, □ lipid encapsulated in hybrid).