Niosome as an innovative drug delivery system

Abstract

Drug targeting is a kind of phenomenon in which drug gets distributed in the body in such a manner that the drug interacts with the target tissue at a cellular or subcellular level to achieve a desired therapeutic response at a desire site without undesirable interactions at other sites. This can be achieved by modern methods of targeting the drug delivery system such as niosome (vesicular system). Designing of the drug in the vesicular system has brought a new life to the old pre-existing drugs and thus has improved their therapeutic efficacies by controlling and sustaining the actions. Different novel approaches used for delivering these drugs include liposomes, microspheres, nanotechnology, micro emulsions, antibody- loaded drug delivery, magnetic microcapsules, implantable pumps and niosomes. Niosomes and liposomes are equiactive in drug delivery potential and both increase drug efficacy as compared with that of free drug. Niosomes are preferred over liposomes because the former exhibit high chemical stability and economy. Niosome are non-ionic surfactant vesicles obtained on hydration of synthetic non - ionic surfactants, with or without incorporation of cholesterol or their lipids. They are vesicular systems similar to liposomes that can be used as carriers of amphiphilic and lipophilic drugs. Niosome are promising vehicle for drug delivery and being non-ionic; and Niosomes are biodegradable, biocompatible non - immunogenic and exhibit flexibility in their structural characterization. Niosomes have been widely evaluated for controlled release and targeted delivery for the treatment of cancer, viral infections and other microbial diseases. Niosomes can entrap both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs and can prolong the circulation of the entrapped drug in body. Encapsulation of drug in vesicular system can be predicted to prolong the existence of drug in the systemic circulation and enhance penetration into target tissue, perhaps reduce toxicity if selective uptake can be achieved.