Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (580 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Usually inert substances added to a prescription in order to provide suitable consistency to the dosage form. These include binders, matrix, base or diluent in pills, tablets, creams, salves, etc.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Excipient; Stabilizing Agents; Agents, Stabilizing; Stabilizing Agent; Agent, Stabilizing; Suspending Agents; Agents, Suspending; Suspending Agent.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Pharmaceutical Vehicles
- Narrower topics
- Vaccine Excipients
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 15,905 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Excipients” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 3,769 of them (23.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 5,927 records.
Reviews account for 1,358 records (8.5%) and meta-analyses for 5. Randomized controlled trials number 200 (1.3%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 2,278 |
| 2000-2009 | 3,931 |
| 2010-2019 | 5,927 |
| 2020 onward | 3,769 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,358 | 8.5% |
| Meta-analyses | 5 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 200 | 1.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Excipients"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanisms of increased bioavailability through amorphous solid dispersions: a review | 2020 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 207 | cc by PMID 31885288 · DOI · PMC6968646 |
| Research Advances on the Stability of mRNA Vaccines | 2023 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 119 | cc by PMID 36992377 · DOI · PMC10051489 |
| Progress in the development of stabilization strategies for nanocrystal preparations | 2021 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 107 | cc by PMID 33336609 · DOI · PMC8725885 |
| Excipients for Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Stabilization in the Perspective of Biomedical Applications | 2025 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 8 | cc by PMID 40141988 · DOI · PMC11944302 |
Mechanisms of increased bioavailability through amorphous solid dispersions: a review [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) can increase the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs.
- Closing excerpt
- This improved overall understanding of these mechanisms will facilitate a rational ASD formulation development and will serve as a basis for further mechanistic research on drug delivery by ASDs.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (137 words)
Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) can increase the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. However, their use in drug development is comparably rare due to a lack of basic understanding of mechanisms governing drug liberation and absorption in vivo. Furthermore, the lack of a unified nomenclature hampers the interpretation and classification of research data. In this review, we therefore summarize and conceptualize mechanisms covering the dissolution of ASDs, formation of supersaturated ASD solutions, factors responsible for solution stabilization, drug uptake from ASD solutions, and drug distribution within these complex systems as well as effects of excipients. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of these findings on the development of ASDs. This improved overall understanding of these mechanisms will facilitate a rational ASD formulation development and will serve as a basis for further mechanistic research on drug delivery by ASDs.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31885288 · DOI · PMC6968646
Research Advances on the Stability of mRNA Vaccines [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Compared to other vaccines, the inherent properties of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and their interaction with lipid nanoparticles make them considerably unstable throughout their life cycles, impacting their effectiveness and global accessibility.
- Closing excerpt
- Here, we review the regulatory guidance associated with mRNA vaccine stability, summarize key factors affecting mRNA vaccine stability, and propose a possible research path to improve mRNA vaccine stability.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (122 words)
Compared to other vaccines, the inherent properties of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and their interaction with lipid nanoparticles make them considerably unstable throughout their life cycles, impacting their effectiveness and global accessibility. It is imperative to improve mRNA vaccine stability and investigate the factors influencing stability. Since mRNA structure, excipients, lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems, and manufacturing processes are the primary factors affecting mRNA vaccine stability, optimizing mRNA structure and screening excipients can effectively improve mRNA vaccine stability. Moreover, improving manufacturing processes could also prepare thermally stable mRNA vaccines with safety and efficacy. Here, we review the regulatory guidance associated with mRNA vaccine stability, summarize key factors affecting mRNA vaccine stability, and propose a possible research path to improve mRNA vaccine stability.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36992377 · DOI · PMC10051489
Progress in the development of stabilization strategies for nanocrystal preparations [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In recent years, nanocrystal technology has been extensively investigated.
- Closing excerpt
- In this paper, the factors that affect the stability of drug nanocrystal preparations are discussed, and related methods for solving the stability problem are put forward.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (122 words)
In recent years, nanocrystal technology has been extensively investigated. Due to the submicron particle size and unique physicochemical properties of nanocrystals, they overcome the problems of low drug solubility and poor bioavailability. Although the structures of nanocrystals are simple, the further development of these materials is hindered by their stability. Drug nanocrystals with particle sizes of 1∼1000 nm usually require the addition of stabilizers such as polymers or surfactants to enhance their stability. The stability of nanocrystal suspensions and the redispersibility of solid nanocrystal drugs are the key factors for the large-scale production of nanocrystal preparations. In this paper, the factors that affect the stability of drug nanocrystal preparations are discussed, and related methods for solving the stability problem are put forward.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 33336609 · DOI · PMC8725885
Excipients for Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Stabilization in the Perspective of Biomedical Applications [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Rare earth metal nanoparticles, some of which are already widely used in medicine, are of growing interest in the modern scientific community.
- Closing excerpt
- In this review, we considered the possibilities of using a number of excipients (polyacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, dextran, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, polycarboxylic acids, lecithin, phosphatidylcholine) in the context of preserving the biological effects of cerium dioxide and its physicochemical properties, as well as the degree of study of these combinations from the point of view of the prospect of creating drugs based on it for biomedical applications.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (199 words)
Rare earth metal nanoparticles, some of which are already widely used in medicine, are of growing interest in the modern scientific community. One of the promising rare earth metals for biomedical applications is cerium, specifically its oxide form, which is characterized by a higher level of stability and safety. According to a number of studies, cerium dioxide has a wide range of biological effects (regenerative, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor), which justifies the interest of its potential application in medicine. However, these effects and their intensity vary significantly across a number of studies. Since cerium dioxide was used in these studies, it can be assumed that not only is the chemical formula important, but also the physicochemical parameters of the nanoparticles obtained, and consequently the methods of their synthesis and modification with the use of excipients. In this review, we considered the possibilities of using a number of excipients (polyacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, dextran, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, polycarboxylic acids, lecithin, phosphatidylcholine) in the context of preserving the biological effects of cerium dioxide and its physicochemical properties, as well as the degree of study of these combinations from the point of view of the prospect of creating drugs based on it for biomedical applications.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40141988 · DOI · PMC11944302
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Solid lipid nanoparticles: production, characterization and applications [5]
- Research article A review of poloxamer 407 pharmaceutical and pharmacological characteristics [6]
- Research article Solubilizing excipients in oral and injectable formulations [7]
- Research article Cyclodextrins [8]
- Research article Cyclodextrins: structure, physicochemical properties and pharmaceutical applications [9]
- Research article Overcoming the stratum corneum: the modulation of skin penetration. A review [10]
References
- Schittny A, Huwyler J, Puchkov M. Mechanisms of increased bioavailability through amorphous solid dispersions: a review. . 2020. PMID 31885288 · DOI · PMC6968646
- Cheng F, Wang Y, Bai Y, Liang Z, Mao Q, Liu D, et al.. Research Advances on the Stability of mRNA Vaccines. . 2023. PMID 36992377 · DOI · PMC10051489
- Li J, Wang Z, Zhang H, Gao J, Zheng A. Progress in the development of stabilization strategies for nanocrystal preparations. . 2021. PMID 33336609 · DOI · PMC8725885
- Titova SA, Kruglova MP, Stupin VA, Manturova NE, Achar RR, Deshpande G, et al.. Excipients for Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Stabilization in the Perspective of Biomedical Applications. . 2025. PMID 40141988 · DOI · PMC11944302
- Mehnert W, Mäder K. Solid lipid nanoparticles: production, characterization and applications. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2001. PMID 11311991 · DOI
- Dumortier G, Grossiord JL, Agnely F, Chaumeil JC. A review of poloxamer 407 pharmaceutical and pharmacological characteristics. Pharm Res. 2006. PMID 17096184 · DOI
- Strickley RG. Solubilizing excipients in oral and injectable formulations. Pharm Res. 2004. PMID 15032302 · DOI
- Kurkov SV, Loftsson T. Cyclodextrins. Int J Pharm. 2013. PMID 22771733 · DOI
- Jansook P, Ogawa N, Loftsson T. Cyclodextrins: structure, physicochemical properties and pharmaceutical applications. Int J Pharm. 2018. PMID 29138045 · DOI
- Trommer H, Neubert RH. Overcoming the stratum corneum: the modulation of skin penetration. A review. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2006. PMID 16685150 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.