An Effective Oral Drug Delivery Route for Pharmacokinetic Complications: Spirulina Lipid Nanotechnology System

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder characterized by mental manifestations, abdominal pain, and alterations in defecation habits. The incidence rate in some areas even exceeds 20%. Secondary to chronic, recurrent gastrointestinal motility dysfunction, for patients with IBS, upon oral administration of drugs, the fluctuation of bioavailability is typically far more significant than that of healthy individuals. Nevertheless, at present, few studies have put forward targeted drug delivery systems addressing this aspect. In this study, an oral spirulina nanotechnology System (SP@TIIAn) is developed that integrates tanshinone IIA liposome with spirulina for enhanced IBS treatment. Owing to the passive targeting of intestinal villi and enhanced adhesion by spirulina and nanoparticles, it is discovered that, in contrast to enteric-coated capsules, this system is more beneficial for guaranteeing the pharmacokinetic stability of IBS. SP@TIIAn effectively treats multiple gut-brain symptoms of IBS, contributing to providing new alternatives for the development of clinical medications for IBS.