Breaking the Limitations of 'Milk': Research Progress on New Derivatives of Propofol.

Over the past several decades, intravenously administered anesthetics such as propofol have gained widespread recognition for their use in inducing and maintaining general anesthesia. As a fast-acting, short-acting anesthetic, propofol exhibits rapid onset, brief duration, excellent induction efficacy, minimal accumulation, and promotes clear-headedness and swift recovery post-anesthesia. However, its poor water solubility necessitates formulation as an emulsion, which may cause injection site pain during administration and potentially lead to allergic reactions and lipid metabolism disorders. In light of this, pharmacologists aim to optimize propofol through structural modification, seeking to develop a systemic intravenous anesthetic that mitigates or improves these side effects.