Abstract

Vijay D. Havaldar*, Savita S. Mali, Kailas K. Mali, Snehal S. Shinde, Nilam Y. Jadhav and Shinde A. A.

ABSTRACT

Ethosomes are specialized vesicle system containing mainly ethanolic phospholipid vesicles which are commonly used for transdermal drug delivery. Transdermal drug delivery systems are a simple form of drug delivery in which the drug enters the body through a protective barrier (e.g., skin) that is the primary target for topical medications. Vesicular systems are one of the most controversial systems in transdermal drug delivery. Ethosomes are non-invasive transport vehicles that allow drugs to enter the skin and/or body tissues. They have better skin permeability, drug transport and drug encapsulation efficiency than liposomes and therefore can be used more widely than liposomes. Ethosomes are easy to prepare and safe to use and have attracted the attention of researchers due to their superior skin permeability, drug transport and drug encapsulation efficiency. They consist of phospholipids, alcohol, polyethylene glycol and water. Ethanol increases skin penetration by allowing the drug to reach the outer layer of the skin. Ethosomes are easy to make and safe to use. The purpose of this review of ethosome drug delivery is to focus on various aspects of ethosomes, including composition, penetration mechanism, classification, methods of preparation, characterization and evaluation.