An Overview of Niosomes

Abstract

In recent times, there has been a significant shift towards developing targeted biological substances for the treatment of infectious diseases and vaccination. Non-ionic surfactant vesicles, known as niosomes, have emerged as a distinctive vesicular structure in contemporary drug delivery methods due to their biological breakdown, compatibility, chemical resistance, cost-effectiveness, ease of manufacturing and preservation, and low toxicity. The progress in nanocarrier technology has garnered attention for its safety and associated advantages, including enhanced therapeutic administration with diverse pharmacological effects, improved targeting capabilities, and reduced side effects. Niosomes serve as vesicular carriers for drugs, composed of non-ionized surfactants, cholesterol or analogs, and charged molecules that enable controlled and targeted drug delivery. They are categorized as unilamellar, oligolamellar, or multilamellar structures. This comprehensive review article provides an overview of niosomes, covering their structure, types, formulation methods, characterization, advantages and disadvantages, preparation techniques, influencing factors, evaluation criteria, applications, and currently available formulations in the market. Keywords: Niosomes, drug delivery system, methods of Preparation, Applications.