What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: CBD.

Where was this research published?

Published in Drug delivery on July 22, 2026.

A nano-delivery system boosts CBD absorption in rats

Q: What did this research study find?

The *CBD-PLC-SNEDDS* formulation achieved a calculated oral bioavailability of **92% in rats**, compared with **47%** for the oleic-acid control.

Development and in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation of a phospholipid complex self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (PLC-SNEDDS) for enhanced oral bioavailability of cannabidiol.

Drug delivery • July 22, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

Cannabidiol (CBD) is poorly absorbed when taken by mouth, with an estimated bioavailability of about 6%. This study tested a new lipid-based delivery system called CBD-PLC-SNEDDS, designed to improve dissolution and reduce the impact of first-pass metabolism. In laboratory testing, the formulation released 100% of its CBD within 1 hour, compared with 8 hours for a similar formulation without the phospholipid complex. It also remained relatively stable during four months of storage, especially under the lower-temperature condition tested.

In oral dosing experiments in rats, CBD-PLC-SNEDDS produced a calculated absolute bioavailability of 92%, compared with 47% for an oleic-acid control and 39% for the phospholipid complex alone. The formulation also produced higher peak blood concentrations, faster absorption, and a longer half-life than the control. These results suggest the system could make oral CBD delivery more efficient and consistent, but the study was conducted in rats; human trials are still needed to determine whether the same benefits occur in cannabis users or patients.

💡 Key Findings

The CBD-PLC-SNEDDS formulation achieved a calculated oral bioavailability of 92% in rats, compared with 47% for the oleic-acid control.

Moderate

55%

The formulation released 100% of its CBD within 1 hour in dissolution testing, versus 8 hours for the comparison SNEDDS formulation.

Moderate

50%

Compared with the control, the new system produced a 5-fold higher peak blood concentration, faster absorption, and an extended half-life in rats.

Moderate

55%

The formulation maintained 94.73% CBD under the lower-temperature storage condition after four months, indicating promising short-term stability under the tested conditions.

Moderate

45%

The findings support CBD-PLC-SNEDDS as a promising oral-delivery platform, but its effectiveness and safety for people remain unconfirmed because the pharmacokinetic testing was conducted in rats.

Good

60%

📄 Original Abstract

Cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits poor oral bioavailability (approximately 6%) due to low solubility and excessive first-pass metabolism, limiting its therapeutic potential. This study introduces a novel phospholipid complex self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (CBD-PLC-SNEDDS) to enhance CBD delivery. CBD-PLC was integrated into an optimized SNEDDS via Design of Experiments (DoE), yielding nanoemulsions with 118.9 ± 0.77 nm particle size, 0.258 PDI, and -21.9 mV zeta potential. Physicochemical characterization (DSC, FTIR) confirmed amorphization and physical encapsulation without chemical alteration. In vitro dissolution showed 100% CBD release within 1 h for CBD-PLC-SNEDDS vs. 8 h for CBD-SNEDDS. Stability studies (ICH guidelines) retained 94.73% ± 0.62% CBD at 25 °C/60% RH and 80.21% ± 0.61% at 40 °C/75% RH after 4 months with preservatives. In vivo pharmacokinetics in Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 9, 20 mg/kg oral; 4 mg/kg IV) demonstrated that CBD-PLC-SNEDDS significantly enhanced systemic exposure, achieving a calculated absolute bioavailability (F) of 92%, compared to 47% for the oleic acid control. The formulation yielded a 5-fold higher C max (593 ± 246 vs 118 ± 63 ng/mL) doubled AUC0-∞ (88 vs. 45 h·kg·ng/mL/mg), faster T max (2 ± 0.3 vs. 7.4 ± 2.3 h), and extended T 1/2 (3.7 ± 0.9 vs. 1.9 ± 0.6 h) versus control. CBD-PLC alone yielded only 39%. IVIVC modelling via Wagner-Nelson deconvolution established a strong correlation (R2 > 0.7) between in vitro dissolution and in vivo absorption, validating the system's predictive performance. This synergistic PLC-SNEDDS platform outperforms prior systems, offering a scalable template for lipophilic drugs and paving the way for clinical CBD therapeutics.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Drug delivery
Published: July 22, 2026
PMID: 42487275
DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2026.2702143

Authors (5)

Thabata Muta School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Songhita Mukhopadhyay School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Benjamin Noll School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Yunmei Song School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Sanjay Garg School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.