Elastic Vesicles Research Articles

Formulation Development and Characterization of Etodolac Loaded Transethosomes for Transdermal Delivery

Etodolac is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other inflammatory diseases. Upon oral administration, it is reported to cause ulcerative colitis, gastrointestinal irritation, edema and peptic ulcer. Hence, an alternative delivery system has been designed in the form of transethosome. The present study describes the preparation, optimization, characterization, and ex vivo study of etodolac-loaded transethosomal gel using the central composite design. Transethosomes (TELs) are elastic vesicles composed of phospholipid, ethanol and edge activator (surfactant). TELs were prepared by thin film hydration method and characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), entrapment efficiency, vesicle size, Zeta potential and the transethosomal gel was characterized by clarity, pH, viscosity, spread ability, drug content and in vitro drug release. Microscopic examination of transethosomes showed soft, malleable and spherical vesicles with a smooth surface within the range. Vesicle size and % entrapment efficiency of the optimized transethosomal formulation was found to be 268.1nm and 83.75 0.61% respectively. Zeta potential of the optimized transethosomal formulation was found to be -18.0 mv. The ex-vivo study showed spread ability of transethosomal gel 26± 0.03.Drug content was found to be 98.24 0.024%.In Vitro Drug Release Study of optimised formulations for 12 hrs was found to be 97.35± 0.43%.

Topical Analgesic Nanolipid Vesicles Formulation of Capsaicinoids Extract of Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq): Pharmacodynamic Evaluation in Rat Models and Acceptability studies in Human Volunteers

Capsicum fruit is used for treating skeletomuscular disorders as a counterirritant analgesic around the globe. But its concentration-dependent irritation and concomitant withdrawal of therapy by the patients hampers its therapeutic usefulness. In the present study, a novel nanolipid approach based on elastic phospholipid vesicles was employed to encapsulate a semipurified extract of Bhut Jolokia for topical drug delivery application. The working hypothesis was that encapsulation of irritant extract into nanolipid vesicles may prevent the initial rejection of formulation and the elastic vesicles may facilitate deeper skin penetration over a shorter time period. Surface response methodology was adopted to study the effect of selected independent formulation variables on dependent variables like vesicle size and entrapment efficacy. The prepared formulations were characterized for various physicochemical parameters. The efficacy of the newly developed nonolipid vesicle formulation loaded with semipurified extract of Bhut Jolokia was tested on carrageenan and formaldehyde-induced inflammation as well as Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis model. The novel formulations were tested on human volunteers in a Phase I clinical trial and were found to be acceptable. The study indicates that this strategy holds immense potential for topical delivery of the bioactive from Bhut Jolokia and can pave the way for its clinical applications.

Fabrication of Vesicular Drug Delivery of Niosomal Topical Formulation for the Effective Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Delivery of drug through topical route, delivers most convenient and novel approach. The Skin can offer several advantages as a route of drug administration although its barrier nature makes it difficult for most drugs to penetrate in to and permeate through it. During the past decades there has been a lot of interest in lipid vesicles as a tool to improve topical drug delivery. Vesicular system such as liposomes, niosomes, ethosomes and elastic deformable vesicles provide an alternative for improved skin drug delivery. In fact vesicles can act as drug carriers controlling drug release. The Research findings were intended to develop sustained release of aceclofenac niosomes formulations in order to reduce gastrointestinal disturbances and to provide better effect when applied topically. Niosomes of aceclofenac was prepared by modified ether injection method using different ratio of surfactants (Tween 20, 40, 60 & 80) with cholesterol and drug. The developed formulations were optimized based on the high entrapment efficiency and in-vitro release studies. Optimized batch was selected and made in to topical niosomal gel using gelling agents like carbopol and sodium carboxy methyl cellulose. Formulation were evaluated for various parameters like vesicle shape, vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, drug content, compatibility studies, in-vitro release studies and stability studies. Ether injection method was found to be most satisfactory in terms of niosome particle size, drug entrapment efficiency was found to be 88.68 ±0.64 % and in-vitro release studies showed 40% of sustain drug release at the end of 8 hrs of study when compared with marketed formulation. Hence, the formulated niosomal topical gel was found to be a better alternative when compared to the marketed formulation in terms of better efficacy, bioavailability and permeation.

The role of surfactants in the formulation of elastic liposomal gels containing a synthetic opioid analgesic.

Transdermal drug delivery systems have made significant contributions to the medical community, but have yet to completely substitute oral or parenteral delivery. Recently, various strategies have been used to augment the transdermal delivery of therapeutics. Primarily, they include iontophoresis, electrophoresis, sonophoresis, chemical permeation enhancers, microneedles, and vesicular systems. Among these strategies, elastic liposomes appear promising. Elastic vesicle scaffolds have been developed and evaluated as novel topical and transdermal delivery systems, with an infrastructure consisting of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties together, and as a result, such scaffolds can accommodate drug molecules with a wide range of solubility. High deformability of these vesicles provides for better penetration of intact vesicles. This system is much more efficient at delivering low- and high-molecular-weight drugs to the skin in terms of quantity and depth. In this work, elastic liposomes of Tramadol HCl were prepared using a solvent evaporation method with different surfactants and were characterized using microscopy, and particle size, shape, drug content, ex vivo release, and zeta potential were also calculated. The prepared elastic liposomes were found to be in the range of 152.4 nm with a zeta potential of −22.4 mV; the entrapment efficiencies of the selected formulation was found to be 79.71%±0.27%. All formulations in the form of a gel were evaluated for physicochemical properties and were found to be homogeneous with no grittiness, and the pH of all formulations was found to be neutral. The optimized selected elastic liposomal formulation followed the Higuchi equation and Fickian diffusion and released the drug for a period of 24 hours. The overall results provide much promise for the continued investigation of deformable vesicles as transdermal drug carriers.

Novel elastic membrane vesicles (EMVs) and ethosomes-mediated effective topical delivery of aceclofenac: a new therapeutic approach for pain and inflammation

Context: Aceclofenac (ACE) is a systematically designed drug, developed to circumvent the concerns associated with diclofenac. But ACE is also associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs)-tagged side effects, although of decreased amplitude.Objective: The present study aims to develop phospholipid-based vesicles (elastic membrane vesicles; EMV and ethosomes) loaded with ACE and explore their potential in topical delivery.Methods: Elastic membrane vesicles (EMVs) were prepared by thin-film hydration method and ethosomes by cold method. The composition of both the vesicular systems was selected on the basis of vesicle density and drug entrapment. The developed systems were characterized for micromeritics, surface charge, drug entrapment, and morphology. Ex vivo permeation and retention studies on Laca mice skin were performed. In vivo pharmacodynamic evaluation was performed by tail-flick method and carrageenan-induced rat paw-edema model. During stability studies, percent drug leakage was studied.Results: The selected ratios of phospholpid:drug:stearylamine for EMVs and ethosomes were 8:1:1 and 3:1:1, respectively. The ethosomes were found to offer more vesicle density, drug loading, and deformability index as compared with that of EMVs. The drug permeation and the retention offered by both the vesicular systems were superior to that of the conventional cream; however, performance of ethosomes superseded that of EMVs. The phospholipid-based vesicles were found to be well tolerated on mice skin. Although, the in vivo performance of ethosomes was found to be better than that of EMVs in both the studied models.Conclusion: The phospholipid-based vesicular systems, especially, ethosomes can be a promising tool to enhance the delivery and safety of ACE by topical route.

Motion and Deformation of Elastic Capsules and Vesicles in Flow

This article reviews the mechanical behavior of a capsule under the influence of viscous deforming forces due to a flowing fluid. It focuses on artificial capsules and vesicles with an internal liquid core enclosed by a very thin membrane with different constitutive laws. The recent modeling strategies are outlined together with their respective advantages and limitations. I then consider the motion and deformation of a single, initially spherical capsule freely suspended in a simple shear or plane hyperbolic flow and discuss the effect of the membrane constitutive law, initial prestress, membrane buckling, and bulk or membrane viscosity. Finally, I consider the flow of spherical capsules in small pores and show how numerical models can be used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the membrane.

Ethosomes –Novel Drug Delivery System

Skin acts as a major target as well as a principal barrier for topical/transdermal drug delivery. Despite the many advantages of this system, the major obstacle is the low diffusion rate of drugs across the stratum corneum. Several methods have been tried to increase the permeation rate of drugs temporarily. One simple and convenient approach is application of drugs in formulation with elastic vesicles or skin enhancers. Vesicular system is one of the most controversial methods for transdermal delivery of active substances in that ethosomes are the ethanolic phospholipids vesicles which are used mainly for transdermal delivery of drugs. Ethosomes are nanocarriers for transdermal drug delivery system. These are too small to be detected by immune system and moreover they can be use to deliver the drug in the target organ using lower drug doses in order to reduce side effects. Ethosomes comprises of phospho-bilipids layers along with ethanol which gives efficient permeation and penetration of the drugs. It delivers large molecules such as peptides, protein molecules. Simple method for drug delivery in comparison to Iontophoresis and Phonophoresis and other complicated methods. High patient compliance as it is administrated in semisolid form (gel or cream) and various application in Pharmaceutical, Veterinary, Cosmetic field.

A phase field $\alpha$-Navier-Stokes vesicle-fluid interaction model: Existence and uniqueness of solutions

In this work we analyze a system of nonlinear evolution partial differential equations modeling the fluid-structure interaction associated to the dynamics of an elastic vesicle immersed in a moving incompressible viscous fluid.This system of equations couples an equation for a phase field variable, used to determine the position ofvesicle membrane deformed by the action of the fluid, to the $\alpha$-Navier- Stokes equations with an extra nonlinear interaction term.We prove global in time existence and uniqueness of solutions for this system in suitable functional spaces even in the three-dimensional case.

Development and evaluation of curcumin-loaded elastic vesicles as an effective topical anti-inflammatory formulation.

Curcumin has diverse biological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, its clinical use for topical application is limited due to its poor aqueous solubility and thus, minimal cutaneous bioavailability. Elastic vesicles (EVs) of curcumin were prepared to improve its cutaneous bioavailability and to use it for topical anti-inflammatory effect. Ex vivo skin permeation and retention studies were performed to check if incorporation of curcumin into EVs could improve its permeation into and retention in the skin. Evaluation of acute and chronic anti-inflammatory effect was done using xylene-induced acute ear edema in mice and cotton pellet-induced chronic inflammation in rats, respectively. A significant improvement in flux (nine times) across murine skin was observed when aqueous dispersion of curcumin (flux - 0.46 ± 0.02 μg/h/cm(2)) was compared with curcumin-loaded EVs (flux - 4.14 ± 0.04 μg/h/cm(2)). Incorporation of these curcumin-loaded EVs into a hydrophilic ointment base resulted in higher skin retention (51.66%) in contrast to free curcumin ointment (1.64%) and a marketed formulation (VICCO® turmeric skin cream). The developed ointment showed an effect similar (p < 0.05) to the marketed diclofenac sodium ointment (Omni-gel®) in suppression of acute inflammation in mouse; a significant inhibition (28.8% versus 3.91% for free curcumin) of cotton pellet-induced chronic inflammation was also observed. Thus, curcumin-loaded EVs incorporated in hydrophilic ointment is a promising topical anti-inflammatory formulation.

Elastic liposomes-in-vehicle formulations destined for skin therapy: the synergy between type of liposomes and vehicle

Objective: The present study is focused on optimization of elastic liposomes-in-vehicle formulations in respect to drug release and formulation properties. By combining penetration potential of elastic liposomes containing high ratio of entrapped drug and physicochemical properties of vehicles, both affecting the release and texture properties, optimal formulation could be achieved.Materials and methods: Deformable, propylene glycol-containing or conventional liposomes with hydrophilic model drug (diclofenac sodium) were incorporated into the following vehicles appropriate for skin application: a hydrogel, a cream base and derma membrane structure base cream (DMS base). Each formulation was assessed for in vitro drug release and mechanical properties.Results and discussion: The composition and type of both liposomes and the vehicle affected the rate and amount of the released drug. The cream base exhibited the slowest release, followed by the hydrogel and DMS base. Similar release profiles were achieved with both types of elastic vesicles (deformable and propylene glycol liposomes); the slowest release was observed for conventional liposomes, regardless of the vehicle used. The drug release profiles from different liposomes-in-vehicle formulations were in agreement with the physicochemical properties of the formulations. All of the liposomes were found to be compatible with the hydrogel preserving its original textures, whereas a significant decrease in all texture parameters was observed for liposomes-in-DMS base, regardless of liposome type.Conclusion: Propylene glycol liposomes-in-hydrogel is considered as the optimal formulation for improving skin delivery of hydrophilic drug. Further investigations involving in vivo animal studies are necessary to confirm its applicability in skin therapy.

Transdermal delivery of flurbiprofen from surfactant-based vesicles: Particle characterization and the effect of water on in vitro transport

Flurbiprofen loaded rigid and elastic vesicles comprising the bilayer-forming surfactant sucrose-ester laurate were prepared by the film rehydration and extrusion method. The charge-inducing agent sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the micelle-forming surfactants, sorbitan monolaurate, polyethylene glycol monolaurate, and polysorbate 20, were used to enhance elasticity. Vesicle formulations were evaluated for size, zeta potential, (1)H and (19)F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and in vitro skin permeation across Yucatan micropig (YMP) skin. Vesicle formulations were stable for 2 weeks and their mean sizes were 95-135 nm. NMR spectroscopy showed that flurbiprofen molecular mobility was restricted by interaction with vesicle components because of entrapment in vesicle bilayers. Moreover, sorbitan monolaurate-containing vesicles strongly retained flurbiprofen molecules. After non-occlusive application to YMP skin, flurbiprofen transport from all vesicle formulations was superior to that of flurbiprofen alone and remarkably decreased after water vaporization. Polarization microscopy and small-angle X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the vesicle formulation was transferred to liquid crystalline state. Suppression of vesicle transition to the liquid crystalline state was observed with applications of both large quantities and diluted samples. The presence of water in the formulations was associated with maintenance of the vesicle structure and greater flurbiprofen transport across YMP skin.

Pathways to faceting of vesicles

The interplay between geometry, topology and order can lead to geometric frustration that profoundly affects the shape and structure of a curved surface. In this commentary we show how frustration in this context can result in the faceting of elastic vesicles. We show that, under the right conditions, an assortment of regular and irregular polyhedral structures may be the low energy states of elastic membranes with spherical topology. In particular, we show how topological defects, necessarily present in any crystalline lattice confined to spherical topology, naturally lead to the formation of icosahedra in a homogeneous elastic vesicle. Furthermore, we show that introducing heterogeneities in the elastic properties, or allowing for non-linear bending response of a homogeneous system, opens non-trivial pathways to the formation of faceted, yet non-icosahedral, structures.

Molecular modeling of the pathways of vesicle–membrane interaction

In this work we systematically investigate the pathways of the interaction between elastic vesicles and lipid membranes with the aid of computer simulation techniques. Different vesicle responses to the vesicle–membrane adhesion, including vesicle fusion, vesicle hemi-fusion, vesicle adhesion, vesicle endocytosis and vesicle rupture, are observed from our simulations. We also investigate how the pathways of vesicle–membrane interaction depend on the adhesion strength, and the membrane and vesicle properties.

Elastic Vesicles for Transdermal Drug Delivery of Hydrophilic Drugs: A Comparison of Important Physicochemical Characteristics of Different Vesicle Types

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of different lipid vesicular systems on the skin permeation ability of hydrophilic molecules, and understand if and which vesicle physicochemical properties may be used as predictive tools. Calcein and carboxyfluorescein were used as hydrophilic drug models. All vesicles (conventional liposomes [CLs], transfersomes [TRs] and invasomes [INVs]), were characterized for particle size distribution, zeta-potential, vesicular shape and morphology, encapsulation efficiency, integrity, colloidal stability, elasticity and finally in vitro human skin permeation. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) defined that almost all vesicles had spherical structure, low polydispersity (PI < 0.2) and nanosize. Elasticity values (measured by extrusion through membranes) were in the order INVs > TRs > CLs. Three vesicle types were selected (having different elasticity) and in vitro skin permeation experiments demonstrated that calcein permeation was minimal from an aqueous solution, slightly enhanced from CLs, and enhanced by 1.8 and 7.2 times from TRs and INVs, respectively. Permeation and elasticity values were correlated by rank order but not linearly, indicating that elasticity can be used as a crude predictive tool for enhancement of skin transport. Drug encapsulation efficiency was not found to be an important factor in the current study.

Ordering and arrangement of deformed red blood cells in flow through microcapillaries

The shapes and alignment of elastic vesicles similar to red blood cells (RBCs) in cylindrical capillary flow are investigated by mesoscopic hydrodynamic simulations. We study the collective flow behavior of many RBCs, where the capillary diameter is comparable to the diameter of the RBCs. Two essential control parameters are the RBC volume fraction (the tube hematocrit, HT), and the suspension flow velocity. Depending on HT, flow velocity and capillary radius, the RBC suspension exhibits a disordered phase and two distinct ordered phases, consisting of a single file of parachute-shaped cells and a zigzag arrangement of slipper-shaped cells, respectively. We argue that thermal fluctuations, included in the simulation method, coupled to hydrodynamic flows are important contributors to the RBC morphology. We examine the changes to the phase structures when the capillary diameter and the material properties (bending rigidity κ and stretching modulus μ) of the model RBCs are varied, constructing phase diagrams for each case. We focus on capillary diameters, which range from about 1.0 to about 1.4 times the RBC long diameter. For the smallest capillary diameter, the single-file arrangement dominates; for the largest diameter, the ordered zigzag arrangement begins to loose its stability and alternates with an asymmetric structure with two lanes of differently oriented cells. In simulations with long capillaries, the coexistence of different phases can be observed.

Nebulization of ultradeformable liposomes: The influence of aerosolization mechanism and formulation excipients

Ultradeformable liposomes are stress-responsive phospholipid vesicles that have been investigated extensively in transdermal delivery. In this study, the suitability of ultradeformable liposomes for pulmonary delivery was investigated. Aerosols of ultradeformable liposomes were generated using air-jet, ultrasonic or vibrating-mesh nebulizers and their stability during aerosol generation was evaluated using salbutamol sulphate as a model hydrophilic drug. Although delivery of ultradeformable liposome aerosols in high fine particle fraction was achievable, the vesicles were very unstable to nebulization so that up to 98% drug losses were demonstrated. Conventional liposomes were relatively less unstable to nebulization. Moreover, ultradeformable liposomes tended to aggregate during nebulization whilst conventional vesicles demonstrated a "size fractionation" behaviour, with smaller liposomes delivered to the lower stage of the impinger and larger vesicles to the upper stage. A release study conducted for 2 h showed that ultradeformable liposomes retained only 30% of the originally entrapped drug, which was increased to 53% by inclusion of cholesterol within the formulations. By contrast, conventional liposomes retained 60-70% of the originally entrapped drug. The differences between ultradeformable liposomes and liposomes were attributed to the presence of ethanol or Tween 80 within the elastic vesicle formulations. Overall, this study demonstrated, contrary to our expectation, that materials included with the aim of making the liposomes more elastic and ultradeformable to enhance delivery from nebulizers were in fact responsible for vesicle instability during nebulization and high leakage rates of the drug.

A novel nanovesicular carrier system to deliver drug topically

Context: Ketoconazole, a lipophilic drug with a large molecular weight of 531.44 Da and a limiting aqueous solubility of 0.04 mg/ml is expected to show a poor transport across the skin.Objective: The work describes usefulness of a novel, surfactant based elastic vesicular drug carrier system (SEVs), for enhanced dermal delivery.Materials and methods: The system constitutes Span 60 and an edge activator (Tween 80) and was characterized and monitored for safety and potential to target deeper mice skin layers.Results: Nanosized (126 nm), elastic vesicles showed significantly high skin penetration and retention as compared to free drug suspension. Incorporation into different bases especially a hydrogel showed a significant retention which was even more than the market formulation (Nizral®). Safety was confirmed as cytotoxicity and acute dermal irritation/corrosion. Topically applied fluorescent vesicles labeled with 6-carboxyfluorescein, on mice skin, were observed intact in dermal layer 6 h post application.Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that SEVs can be used to enhance skin delivery of the model high molecular weight and poorly water-soluble drug ketoconazole. The developed nanorange system is an effective system for targeting deeper mice skin layers which may be translated to human skin with suitable modifications, if required.

Characterization of various deformable liposomes with metronidazole

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate various deformable liposomes for their potential application for the vaginal administration of metronidazole.Materials and methods: Deformable liposomes composed of egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) and various surfactants [sodium deoxycholate (SDCh), Tween 80 or Span 80] and conventional liposomes consisting of EPC and egg phosphatidylglycerol-sodium (EPG-Na) were prepared with and without metronidazole. Additionally, a freeze-thaw method was applied to both classes of vesicles (liposomes) containing the drug to improve its trapping capacity. All of the liposomes prepared were characterized and compared in terms of size, polydispersity, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and their permeability on a Caco-2 cell monolayer.Results and discussion: Conventional liposomes, both with and without metronidazole, were larger than the deformable vesicles. The presence of ethanol in the preparations of the elastic EPC/SDCh and EPC/Tween 80 liposomes was found to affect the particle size in terms of reducing this parameter. Different types of vesicles were compared for their trapping efficiency of metronidazole and the highest entrapment was observed with conventional liposomes. However, deformable EPC/SDCh liposomes were found to enhance the permeability of metronidazole more effectively than the conventional liposomes based on the in vitro model of the epithelial barrier.Conclusion: These preliminary data indicate that EPC/SDCh liposomes may have a promising future in vaginal delivery of metronidazole. Therefore, additional investigations on elastic vesicles and their incorporation in a suitable vehicle should be considered to further evaluate their applicability in vaginal drug delivery.

Formulation and in Vitro, ex Vivo and in Vivo Evaluation of Elastic Liposomes for Transdermal Delivery of Ketorolac Tromethamine

The objective of the current study was to formulate ketorolac tromethamine-loaded elastic liposomes and evaluate their in vitro drug release and their ex vivo and in vivo transdermal delivery. Ketorolac tromethamine (KT), which is a potent analgesic, was formulated in elastic liposomes using Tween 80 as an edge activator. The elastic vesicles were prepared by film hydration after optimizing the sonication time and number of extrusions. The vesicles exhibited an entrapment efficiency of 73 ± 11%, vesicle size of 127.8 ± 3.4 nm and a zeta potential of −12 mV. In vitro drug release was analyzed from liposomes and an aqueous solution, using Franz diffusion cells and a cellophane dialysis membrane with molecular weight cut-off of 8000 Da. Ex vivo permeation of KT across pig ear skin was studied using a Franz diffusion cell, with phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 32 °C as receptor solution. An in vivo drug permeation study was conducted on healthy human volunteers using a tape-stripping technique. The in vitro results showed (i) a delayed release when KT was included in elastic liposomes, compared to an aqueous solution of the drug; (ii) a flux of 0.278 μg/cm2h and a lag time of about 10 h for ex vivo permeation studies, which may indicate that KT remains in the skin (with the possibility of exerting a local effect) before reaching the receptor medium; (iii) a good correlation between the total amount permeated, the penetration distance (both determined by tape stripping) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measured during the in vivo permeation studies. Elastic liposomes have the potential to transport the drug through the skin, keep their size and drug charge, and release the drug into deep skin layers. Therefore, elastic liposomes hold promise for the effective topical delivery of KT.

Enhanced transdermal delivery of 18β-glycyrrhetic acid via elastic vesicles: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Objective: The aim of this work was to develop an elastic vesicular formulation to enhance the skin permeation of a poorly water-soluble 18β-glycyrrhetic acid (GA) and treat dermatitis.Methods: Elastic vesicles of GA were prepared by the film method with high pressure homogenizer and characterized by storage stability. In vitro permeation studies were carried on rat skin using Franz diffusion cell. In vivo skin deposition of GA was studied using HPLC assay. Chronic allergic contact dermatitis model was built to evaluate pharmacodynamic of GA elastic vesicles.Results: The GA elastic vesicles developed have high flexibility and the storage stability was at least for 6 months at 4°C and for 4 months at 25°C. In vitro cumulative penetration of GA from elastic vesicles within 8 hours was 5.3-fold and 23.2-fold higher than that of conventional liposomes and saturated solution, respectively. After non-occlusive application to mice ears in vivo, skin deposition of GA increased immediately and reached the Cmax at 3 h (1.95 ± 0.32 µg/cm2) and still detected, even after 16 hours GA removed. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity study, GA elastic vesicles showed significant reduction in ear thickness and mass (25.52% and 49.23%) (P < 0.05). The suppressive activity was comparable to that of positive control group (Triamcinolone Acetonide and Econazole Nitrate cream in market), while few side effects were observed in present model.Conclusion: The results suggested that of GA elastic vesicular was safe and effective in treatment of contact dermatitis by transdermal administration.