Proniosomes and niosomes for enhanced drug delivery

BENEDINI, LUCIANO A.; MESSINA PAULA V.

Systems of Nanovesicular Drug Delivery

Elsevier

Año: 2022; p. 115 - 125

Niosomes are vesicular systems first reported in the 1970s.1 They are formed by two types of components: mainreagents and additives of the membrane. Among the first, we will mention nonionic surfactants and, among the othermolecules are cholesterol, charged molecules, and molecules that confer sensitivity to different stimuli. The selecteddispersion or hydration medium depends on the solubility of the drug and its ionization. Additionally, the correct choiceof the medium can improve the entrapment efficiency and the leakage of the drug.2 One of the media most used for niosomesdevelopment is phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with a pH of 7.4. Niosomes are structurally related to liposomesfirst reported in the 1960s,3 showing similarities and differences. Among the firsts, both systems have been designed toprotect drugs and enhance their pharmacotherapeutic profile. In other words, liposomes and niosomes can improve thepharmacokinetic parameters of drugs such as absorption, distribution, decreasing their metabolism (in particular cases),and excretion. Additionally, they can be loaded with hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. This is another similarity thatshows a considerable advantage compared with other systems.4,5 However, niosomes show fewer immunogenic reactionsthan liposomes because they are performed with nonionic surfactants.4One of the main drawbacks of niosomes is the lack of stability during storage. This problem causes aggregation,sedimentation, and leakage of the drug. The development of dehydrated systems can overcome this problem. For thatreason, proniosomes have gained a place. These provesicular (dehydrated) systems can be performed as semi-solid liquidcrystal (gel) or flowing powders depending on the preparation method. The same reagents used for niosomes developmentare used for these systems, and they convert into niosomes at certain temperatures after hydration and gentleagitation.6 Additionally, proniosomes can be used for the local administration of drugs or be included in other pharmaceuticalformulations.7,8This work addresses a comprehensive description of systems based on proniosomes and niosomes. The differentreagents used in each case with their concentrations and ratios were shown. Then, the types of proniosomes and niosomes,their principal preparation methods, and considerations for carrying out their development have been displayed.Characterization techniques are carefully shown in this text because the features of these systems affect, for example,the selection of the administration route of the formulation. After that, their application in pharmaceutical sciences consideringadministration routes and loaded drugs is described. Finally, a brief comparison of the advantages and disadvantagesof proniosomes and niosomes is shown.