Overcoming the harsh environment and epithelial barrier of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is an important challenge for orally administered nanodrugs. Among the various nano-sized drug delivery systems, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possess unique characteristics that make them promising candidates for improving drug bioavailability. A profound understanding of the GI tract microenvironment and the mechanisms of nanoparticle transportation through the intestinal epithelium is required to develop an effective oral drug delivery system. Moreover, the physicochemical properties of AuNPs, including their size, surface charge, rigidity, and shape, are relevant factors that affect the penetration processes. In this review, we describe the nanotechnologies that can be incorporated into AuNPs to efficiently target intestinal epithelial cells, penetrate mucus barriers, and respond to specific stimuli. Thus, we provide a comprehensive description of AuNPs to formulate a rational and effective engineering strategy to overcome the GI tract barriers.

克服恶劣的环境和胃肠 (GI) 道的上皮屏障是口服纳米药物的重要挑战。在各种纳米级药物递送系统中，金纳米粒子 (AuNPs) 具有独特的特性，使其成为提高药物生物利用度的有希望的候选者。开发有效的口服给药系统需要对胃肠道微环境和纳米颗粒通过肠上皮运输的机制有深刻的了解。此外，AuNPs 的物理化学性质，包括它们的大小、表面电荷、刚度和形状，是影响渗透过程的相关因素。在这篇综述中，我们描述了可以结合到 AuNPs 中以有效靶向肠上皮细胞的纳米技术，穿透粘液屏障，并对特定刺激做出反应。因此，我们提供了对 AuNP 的全面描述，以制定合理有效的工程策略来克服胃肠道障碍。