LAUSR

Increasing the popularity of herbal medicines in the recent times has attracted the global market and expected to rise by more than 90% in next five years. Many herbal extracts and phytoconstituents having excellent proven in-vitro bioactivity, fail to demonstrate therapeutic action in vivo because of their poor lipid solubility, high molecular size or first pass metabolism. Traditional formulations of phytoconstitutents are primarily administered by oral route but unable to trounce the above confines resulting in low bioavailability and less patient adequacy due to frequent administration. Drug administration via topical route has gained the attention of the researcher because of ease of administration, local drug targeting, patient compliance, controlled drug delivery and bypassing first pass. Literature review indicated the use of nano vesicular systems based on phospholipids for the topical application of phytoconstituents. Mainly vesicular systems like, transferosomes, phytosomes, niosomes, ethosomes and cubosomes are reported for thriving delivery of drug phytoconstituents. These systems can augment the skin drug transport in a secure and proficient ways by drug partitioning into the skin, fusing the lipids in formulation with lipid in the stratum corneum and fluidizing skin lipids. Current review focuses on the major vesicular systems used for the formulations and their application in delivery of phytopharmaceuticals through skin.