Abstract

TRANSFEROSOMES- A HIGHLY PERMEABLE NANOCARRIERS OF DRUGS FOR TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY

S. M. Shahidulla and Syeda Hassan Yameen*

ABSTRACT

Transfersomes, which is composed of phospholipid, surfactant, and water for enhanced transdermal delivery. Transfersomes are a form of elastic or deformable vesicle, which were first introduced in the early 1990s.The system can be characterized by in vitro for vesicle shape and size, entrapment efficiency, degree of deformability, number of vesicles per cubic mm. These carriers can transport pharmacological agents, including large polypeptides, through the permeability barriers, such as the intact skin. Molecules with molecular weights greater than 500 Da and ionized compounds generally do not pass through the skin. Encapsulating the drugs in transfersomes are one of the potential approaches to overcome this problem. Transfersomes are elastic in nature, which can deform and squeeze themselves as an intact vesicle through narrow pores that are significantly smaller than its size. This review aims to describe the concept of transfersomes, the mechanism of action, different methods of preparation and characterization and factors affecting the properties of transfersomes, along with their recent applications in the transdermal administration of drugs.

Keywords: Transferosomes; Deformable; Transdermal delivery, Transferosomal gel.