Itraconazole is a drug of choice for the treatment of severe fungal infections and parasitic diseases, but its use is limited by its low water solubility and varying bioavailability. New self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) based on PEGylated bile acids (BA-PEGs) were designed and prepared, where the number and length of PEG arms were varied to optimize the loading of itraconazole in the final drug formulation. The use of both BA-PEGs and oleic acid improved the solubilization and absorption of the drug, which was in a glassy state in the SEDDS prepared with the melting method. High loading efficiencies of itraconazole (up to 20%) and stable liquid formulations were obtained at neutral pH, and full dispersion of itraconazole was reached in 2 h in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). Aqueous emulsions consisting of spherical micelles with mean hydrodynamic diameters (Dh) of ca. 75-220 nm, as verified by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, are expected to improve the intestinal absorption of the drug. The new SEDDS showed good cytocompatibility by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays of BA-PEGs with Caco-2 and RAW 264.2 cells, and a low degree of hemolysis of human erythrocytes. The SEDDS based on PEGylated bile acids provide a controlled release system with significant improvement of the bioavailability of itraconazole in rats, as demonstrated by the pharmacokinetic studies.

Amphiphilic star-shaped oligo(ethylene glycol)s with a hydrophobic bile acid core and varying number of hydrophilic arms have been made. Their thermal behavior in aqueous solutions depends on the number rather than the length of the arms. The two-armed lithocholate derivative showed the strongest tendency for association and exhibited the lowest cloud point (79 °C) of the oligomers made, as well as another phase separation at a lower temperature (31 °C). The "double thermosensitivity" arising both from the salt-dependent LCST of the oligo(ethylene glycol) segments and the temperature-responsive self-assembly of amphiphilic bile acid derivative provides an interesting path in the design of bile acid-based smart materials.

Bile acids are amphiphilic endogenous steroids that act as anionic surfactants in the digestive tract and aggregate in aqueous solutions. Nonionic surfactants were synthesized by grafting poly(ethylene glycol) chains of various lengths (pegylation) to three bile acids (lithocholic, deoxycholic, and cholic acid) using anionic polymerization. The aggregation properties of the derivatives were studied with viscosity measurements and light scattering as well as with steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques, and the aggregates were visualized by transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the effect of pegylation on the aggregation process. The fluorescence results showed a good correlation with the capacity of the bile acid derivatives to solubilize a hydrophobic drug molecule. The solubilization of ibuprofen depends on the length and the number of grafted PEG chains, and the solubilization efficiency increases with fewer PEG chains on the bile acid. The results indicate their potential for use in the design of new bile acid-based drug-delivery systems.

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