Published Paper Details:

Delivery through skin is still difficult to many drug molecules because of its molecular size, weight, its solubility which also affects drug penetrability, diffusion and its bioavailability. Skin is also act as barrier to the molecules. Past few decades, various successful techniques and devices have emerged to optimize drug delivery across skin. Ethosome is one of these techniques which have been recently emerged as great advantage for drug moieties. Ethosomes are ethanolic phospholipid vesicles and modified form of liposomes mainly for transdermal delivery of drugs. Although ethosomes are conceptually sophisticated, they are characterized by simplicity in their formulation, safety, and efficacy. Ethosomes are soft vesicles prepared for enhanced delivery of active agents. Ethosomes have higher penetrability rate through the skin as compare to other nanoparticles. This increased permeability is because of ethanolic content as ethanol itself act as penetration enhancer gives synergistic effect. Ethanol enhances the cell membrane lipid fluidity results in increased skin penetrability of the ethosomes. These ethosomes permeates through the skin and fuse with cell membrane lipids and releases the drug. Cold and hot are the main methods used for formulation of ethosomes. Evaluation parameters include vesicle size, shape, drug content, zeta potential, stability etc. The following article reviews in detail about ethosomes mechanism, methods of preparation, evaluation parameter, application and future of ethosomes in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industry. Improved delivery of drug molecules through the skin and cellular membranes by ethosomal carrier opens numerous challenges and opportunities for the research and future development of novel improved therapies.