Encapsulation of lipid-based formulations in porous carriers for controlled drug delivery

: Lipid-based formulations have recently been investigated as a promising approach to enhance the bioavailability of drugs, especially poorly water-soluble drugs. The encapsulation of lipid-based formulations in porous materials can result in a transformation of liquids or semisolid forms to solid dosage forms. Moreover, the specific structure of porous carriers could offer an enhanced ability to load and control active pharmaceutical ingredients. Although there have been prominent reports on lipid-based formulations and porous materials as promising technologies for controlled drug release, the overall methods of encapsulating lipid-based formulations need to be discussed for further formulation investigations. This review aims to present the key strategies used for producing porous carriers containing lipid-based formulations. We also discuss methods that enhance the encapsulation efficiency of loaded drugs within porous structures (instead of lipid-based formulations). Moreover, the critical factors that affect tablet formation are outlined. This overview of lipid-based formulations encapsulated within porous materials provides a summary of the technical methods used in the development of these formulations and their clinical translation.