A Novel Drug Carrier: Pharmacosome

Drug delivery systems are important for pharmaceutical sectors all over the world. Conventional system of medicines is failing to deliver the drug to a particular site in optimum concentration. The major drawback is lack of resources and R&D. A new field Novel Drug delivery system (NDDS) is being used in delivering the drug to obtain targeted approach in less time and for improved patient compliance. This Novel Drug delivery system (NDDS) uses carrier system and a reservoiric microenvironment to store the drug. Unnecessary wastage of drug is minimized and less amount of drug is used to attain maximum therapeutic effect. The drug which is having narrow therapeutic index is the subject of concern as their manufacturing and release of the drug becomes tedious. Many carrier molecules are not used. Vesicular drug delivery systems are part of Novel Drug delivery system (NDDS) that focus on binding the drug (hydrophilic or lipophillic) covalently to a lipid molecule which aims to release the drug in a controlled manner at the targeted site.  As the drug is being stored in the vesicular compartment of the system along with the carrier lipid molecule that is according to the body’s physiological compartment, release of the drug is solely depended upon physicochemical property of both drug and carrier. Vesicular drug delivery systems include liposomes, niosomes, pharmacosomes (phytosomes), herbosomes, transferosomes, electrosomes, ethosomes and many more. Pharmacosomes are used as a novel carrier system now days as it is having numerous advantages like no leakage or loss of drug, high entrapment efficiency, stability etc. Drugs of natural or synthetic or semi synthetic origin which is having low solubility or low permeability through biological membranes can be effectively transported to the internal environment of the body by the help of pharmacosomes without modulating their therapeutic property.  Pharmacosomes can be prepared by using, solvent evaporation, co-solvent lyophilization, ether injection, hand shaking, supercritical fluid approach etc. Pharmacosomes increases the bioavailability of poor soluble drugs. Overcome the problem of degradation and stability of drug. These are biocompatible and biodegradable as it resembles with the lipid biomolecules of the body. They contain the herbal ingredients along with carrier in their reservoir. These are helpful to achieved controlled drug release in the body.  More efforts are made to study the mechanism of action of these pharmacosomes and their exploration for better activity. Current scenario includes targeting of the drug molecules using various methods and hence this is a boon for medical sciences.

Ms. Rajni Yadav

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Kalinga University,

Email Id: rajni.yadav@kalingauniversity.ac.in