CUBOSOMES AS TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Sindhura Pallavi*, Viresh K Chandur and A R Shabaraya

ABSTRACT

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) are one of the fascinating drug delivery systems offers several advantages over conventional and oral dosage forms for patient compliance but face challenges such as skin penetration barriers and formulation issues. This can be overcome by lipid nanocarriers, namely cubosomes which acts as an interesting and valuable alternative for transdermal delivery, for delivering of both lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs through the stratum corneum for potential local or systemic effects in treating various diseases. They are the stable colloidal dispersions characterized by a bicontinuous lipid bilayer structure arranged in three dimensions, with an uninterrupted cubic symmetrical surface separated by two interwoven, but nonintersecting, aqueous nanochannels similar to a honeycomb-like liquid crystal structure. They are prepared by top-down, bottom-up, spray drying and solvent evaporation methods and characterized by direct and indirect techniques. They act as a promising vehicle for different routes of administration. They are favoured for sustained, controlled, and targeted drug delivery, presenting novel avenues in therapeutic applications.

Keywords: Transdermal, skin penetration, cubosomes, applications.