Abstract

CUBOSOMES- A NOVEL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM AND ITS FUNCTIONALISATION

Dr. Kala D.* and Aiswarya C.S.

ABSTRACT

Cubosomes are thermodynamically stable self-assembled nanostructured particle. Their ability to incorporate hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic drugs happens to be their biggest advantage. They have high payloads due to high internal surface area and cubic crystalline structure. Targeted and controlled release of bioactive agents is possible. While most liquid crystalline systems transform into micelles at higher levels of dilution, cubosomes remain stable almost at any dilution level because of the relative insolubility of cubic phase forming lipid in water. So, cubosomes can easily be incorporated into product formulations. The cubic phases of cubosomes can be fractured and dispersed to form particulate dispersions that are colloidally and/or thermodynamically stable for longer time. Cubosomes have biocompatibile and bioadhesive properties. They are excellent solubilizers, compared with conventional lipid or non-lipid carriers. The cuboidal system enhances the bioavailability range twenty to more than one hundred times of water-soluble peptides. They show enhanced permeation of drug through skin for percutaneous and dermal delivery.

Keywords: Cubosome, stable, biocompatibility, formulation, bioavailability.