Formulation of Cannabidiol in Lipid Carriers

Substances extracted from Cannabis varieties are of increasing interest, especially cannabidiol as a non-psychoactive drug with various pharmacological effects. Formulation of cannabidiol is, however, challenging due to its low water solubility. In this study, different types of lipid carriers were investigated as formulation options for cannabidiol to enable parenteral or oral application.
The study included self-dispersing lipid formulations, nanoemulsions and liposomes. With regard to parenteral application, a higher load of cannabidiol was obtained in nanoemulsions than in liposomes. Lipid nanoemulsions are thus a very promising formulation option for parenteral formulations with a high drug load. Also in formulations intended for oral use a notably higher amount of cannabidiol could be incorporated in oil-containing self-dispersing formulations than in liposomes.