Formulation aspects and potential therapeuticapplications of cannabidiol-loaded nano-formulations

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising technologies of the 21st century and offers opportunities in all areas of scientific research, such as medicine, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sciences, medicinal chemistry, bioengineering, genetic engineering and food technology. Nanocarriers and innovative pharmaceutical formulations play a significant role in improving the bioavailability of drugs or natural molecules, with a specific enrichment at the target site (Pires et al., 2022). Also, nanocarriers have been used as a potential platform for the targeted delivery of various phytocompounds, including cannabidiol (CBD). Nano- delivery systems help in improving the stability of phytocompounds, enhance their absorption, protect them from early enzymatic deprivation or metabolism within the body, and extend their circulation time, thus limiting the various adverse effects (Assadpour et al., 2023). The modified nanocarriers improve the solubility and permeability, and assist in the sustained delivery of CBD to the targeted diseased sites, thus improving the bioavailability. The cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid isolated from Cannabis sativa L. and that has not been shown to have any intoxicating effects. CBD inhibits excitotoxicity and modifies cellular activity by binding to CB1, CB2, and 5HT1A receptors. Numerous illnesses, including neurological and metabolic disorders, have been linked to CBD's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. According to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS), pharmacologically active CBD intended for oral use is classified as Class II, due to their very low water solubility and high lipophilicity (12.6 mg/L, logP 6.3, pKa 9.29). CBD has a very poor oral bioavailability in plasma and tissues (around 6% and 1%, respectively) due to its high lipophilicity, sensitivity to light, and major breakdown in the duodenum (Barbara et al., 2021). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY For the purposes of our research, we used literature research of several original and review articles indexed in the databases: PubMed, SCOPUS and WoS. For the complete literature search in the indicated databases, we used the following keywords: nanocarriers AND cannabidiol; nano- formulations AND cannabinoids; niosomes AND cannabidiol; liposomes AND cannabidiol.