Niosomes: A Novel Drug Delivery System

Niosomes: A Novel Drug Delivery System

Author Name : Kanchan R. Kawale, S. B. Gondkar, R. S. Bacchav

ABSTRACT

Niosomes are non-ionic surfactant vesicles obtained on hydration of synthetic non-ionic surfactants , with or without incorporation of cholesterol or their lipids. 2It can be used as carrier of amphiphilic or lipophilic drug. 1Niosomes are structurally similar to liposomes and they are made up of bilayer They are unilamellar or multilamellar depending on the method used to prepare them.12 Niosomes acts as a drug carrier which improves the bioavailability of drug ,releases the drug in controlled or sustained manner and used as a drug for targeting to specific sites in the body.4Niosomes are biodegradable, biocompatible, non-immunogenic and has flexibility in their structural characterization.6It has potential to reduce the side effect of drug and increases the therapeutic effectiveness in various diseases.4Efficacy of niosomes can be enhanced by using various novel concepts like proniosomes, discosomes, aposomes . Niosomes also serve as drug carrier , diagnostic imaging aids and as vaccine adjuvant. Thus there is greater scope of research in the formulation of niosomes which are commercially acceptable.1

Keywords: Niosomes , non- ionic ,Vesicles , sonication, proniosomes