TRANSFEROSOMES: A NEW PARADIGM IN THE PERMEATION ENHANCEMENT OF VESICULAR DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM.

*Mounika Vemireddi and Varalakshmi Mummidi

ABSTRACT

Back Ground: Transdermal drug delivery is proving to be superior to the conventional oral delivery of drugs due to its potential benefits like avoidance of first pass metabolism, Gastro intestinal disturbances, toxic effects. Despite of advantages it has got its own limitations like inability to transport large molecules such as vaccines, proteins, steroids and to overcome the barrier properties of stratum corneum. The cost of discovering new drugs are amplified in with increasing efficacy and less side effects of the drugs. Main body: Transferosomes also called ultra-deformable liposomes, are an emergent lipoidal vesicular novel drug delivery system to prevail over these barriers. Transferosomes possesses numerous advantages over conventional liposomes due to their elastic nature, increased permeation, reduced dosing frequency and undesirable side effects. Lipophilic drugs can be achieved >90% of bioavailability through transferosomes. Transferosome are composed of phospholipids, edge activators, solvents, and buffering agents. Phospholipids are membrane component of stratum corneum and edge-activators like tweens, spans, sodium cholate, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, sodium deoxycholate are responsible for their curvature and their ultra-deformation allows to pass through narrow constriction less than their own diameter. Conclusion: Transferosomes are promising approach for delivery of herbal drugs, high molecular weight compounds, drugs undergo extensive first pass metabolism. This review presents the mechanism of action, advantages, disadvantages, composition, methods of preparation, characterization and applications of transferosomes.

Keywords: Transferosomes, ultra-deformable liposomes, permeation enhancers, edge activators, lipophilic drugs.