Niosome - A Versatile Tool in Transdermal Drug Delivery

The stratum corneum plays a crucial role in barrier function for transdermal drug delivery. Despite major research and development efforts in transdermal systems and the advantages of these routes, low stratum corneum permeability limits the usefulness of topical drug delivery. To overcome this, methods have been assessed to increase permeation. One controversial method is the use of vesicular system, such as niosomes, whose effectiveness depends on their physicochemical properties. This review focuses on effect of niosomes on enhancing drug penetration, and defines the effect of composition, size and type of the vesicular system on transdermal delivery.