ETHOSOMES: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Ethosomes are novel vesicular carriers with high concentrations of ethanol and phospholipids, increasingly investigated for the delivery of drugs through the skin and into the body. Ethosomes are more effective than traditional carriers like liposomes in enhancing skin permeation by disrupting the lipid bilayer of the stratum corneum, allowing efficient delivery of both polar and non-polar drugs into underlying layers of the skin and, eventually, systemic circulation. They are versatile carriers that can entrap drugs of varying physicochemical properties and have advantages such as bypassing first-pass metabolism, improving bioavailability, increasing therapeutic efficacy and drug compliance. However, limitations including vesicle instability, lipid oxidation, and fusion during storage remain challenges. This review was carried out through a systematic review of the literature from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar. Articles were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria based on formulation, preparation, mechanism of action and applications of ethosomes. In conclusion, this review offers a systematic and critical review of ethosomal systems, including their composition, preparation, mechanism of permeation, characterization, advantages, limitations and applications.