Niosomal Drug Delivery

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Summary: Niosomes are closed bilayer structures formed from self-assembly of a non-ionic surfactant in an aqueous media.Major advantages to niosomes include: • they are biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic and non-immunogenic • encapsulation of large amounts of materials in a small vesicle volume • better patient adherence and satisfaction and also better effectiveness than conventional oily formulations • carrying a wide range of chemicals (lipophilic, hydrophilic and amphiphilic drugs) due to the unique structure • the shape, fluidity and size can be easily controlled by changing the structural composition and method of production • can be given in different administration routes • storage is simple due to the chemical stability of the structural composition. The new drug delivery system consists of niosomes that encapsulate active agents such as antioxidants, including catechin, catechin derivatives and resveratrol.  Prevent degradation of the active component   Drugs are often unstable and easy to degrade, have low solubility in water based systems, and have low bio-availability due to the first-pass effect. Prevention of drug degradation before absorption and enhancement of permeation are critical to topical drug delivery. These problems can be overcome, or reduced, by encapsulating the drug in niosomes, which can be used for ingredients with different solubilities and can improve the physical and chemical stability of antioxidants, preventing  degradation of the active component before arrival at the targeted site. Researchers from the University of Auckland have developed a novel topical drug  delivery system that could overcome the limitations of current treatments. Nanoniosomes Structurally, niosomes are similar to liposomes as both are made up of bilayer but a niosome bilayer consists of non-ionic surface active agents, while liposome bilayer consists of phospholipids. Niosomes are more stable and inexpensive compared to liposomes. They have recently emerged as a novel drug delivery system to deliver a wide variety of drugs, including anti-infectives, anti-cancer drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs and antioxidants. The carrier systems have potential use  in skin-health care and pharmaceutical products. Niosomes have unique properties for enhanced drug penetration, sustained drug release and an ability to carry both hydrophilic  and lipophilic drugs.