Abstract

BILOSOMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF DESIGN, METHOD OF PREPARATION AND PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATION

Pojarajan G., Laura S. L.*, Arasi, Arthi A., Mohammed Farith R., Nithis J. L., Surya M.

ABSTRACT

Bilosomes represent an advanced vesicular drug delivery sys-tem that integrates bile salts into the bilayer structure of non-ionic surfactant vesicles. Since their first description in 2001, bilosomes have emerged as a promising platform for enhancing the stability, permeability, and bioavailability of therapeutic agents, particularly via oral and mucosal routes. This review of-fers a detailed insight into bilosomes, discussing their formula-tion ingredients like phospholipids, non-ionic surfactants, cho-lesterol, and bile salts, and comparing them with other vesicle-forming carriers like liposomes, niosomes, and cubosomes. Dif-ferent preparation methods like reverse phase evaporation, thin film hydration, ethanol injection, and hot homogenization are discussed in detail. Important parameters like particle size, pol-ydispersity index, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro release are also discussed to understand their role. The re-view further highlights the significant advantages of bilosomes, such as improved gastrointestinal stability, enhanced drug encapsulation, and the ability to overcome biological barriers. Their applications span diverse therapeutic areas, including oral delivery of peptides and proteins, vaccine delivery, ophthalmic formulations, transdermal systems, and emerging neurological applications. Despite their potential, challenges related to scalable manufacturing and clinical translation remain. Future perspectives emphasize the need for stimulus-responsive designs, targeted delivery approaches, and collaborative efforts to harness the full clinical potential of bilosomes as a versatile and efficient drug delivery system.

Keywords: Bilosomes, Non-Ionic Surfactants, Bile salt, Vesicular carriers, Versatile drug Delivery, Oral candidates, Targeted drug delivery, Transdermal delivery, Ocular delivery, Vaccine delivery.