ENHANCED ORAL ABSORPTION OF INSULIN FROM DESOLVATED FATTY-ACID SODIUM GLYCOCHOLATE EMULSIONS

Lipoidal dispersions of insulin in fatty acids were prepared using a bile salt as an emulsifier and as absorption promoter. The orally administered desolvated emulsions containing insulin-sodium glycocholate combinations showed different hypoglycemic effects depending on the fatty acid used. A palmitic acid system, containing 5 U insulin/50 mg dispersion per kg rabbit weight, resulted in the reduction of blood glucose from 105 to 75 mg/dl in 30 min. The effect extended over 150 min with statistically significant difference from non-fatty acid systems. Unsaturated fatty acids did not show the same enhancing effect as saturated fatty acids of the same carbon chain length.