Liquid Crystal Nanoparticles (Cubosomes): A Novel Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Cubosomes are nanostructured liquid crystal-like particles, formed from a certain group of amphiphilic lipids in fixed amounts in water and stabilized with a triblock copolymer. Cubosomes are rounded bicontinuous lipid bi-layers, which are structured in three-dimensional structures approaching honeycomb-like structure with different amphiphilic, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic regions. They work as a carrier in drug delivery for a numerous bioactive molecules, for example, synthetics, drugs, peptides, and proteins to protect them from hydrolysis, oxidation, or some other method of degradation. This article gives an impression of introductory work that took developments till drug delivery, cubosomes types, structure, approaches for development, and fundamentally the uses of cubosomes in the formulation from the past in several classes of drugs and pharmaceuticals. Inder Kumar, Bhumika Thakur School of Pharmacy, Abhilashi University, Mandi, HP, India Shiva Institute of Pharmacy, Bilaspur, HP, India Submission: 22 September 2020 Accepted: 28 September 2020 Published: 30 October 2020 www.ijppr.humanjournals.com Citation: Inder Kumar et al. Ijppr.Human, 2020; Vol. 19 (3): 177-194. 178 INTRODUCTION The term Cubosomes was first proposed by Larsson, which reveals the cubic molecular crystallography that is similar to liposomes. Selected lipids, surfactants, and polymer molecules have both polar and non-polar additives, termed as amphiphilic (1, 2). The amphiphilic nature of the molecules unite the hydrophobic nature of the polar solvent that unite into a liquid crystal of nanometer scale. Thus, Cubosomes are bicontinuous cubic liquid segments enclosed with water separated by surfactant-managed bilayers (3-5). Cubosomes are nanostructured particles of the bicontinuous cubic liquid crystalline phase. Cubosomes are nanoparticles, which are self-assembled liquid crystalline particles of definite surfactants with an appropriate part of water with microstructure and also possess rheology like solid (6, 7). Bulk cubic levels have better viscosity than cubosomal dispersion (8-10). At excessive dilutions, most immersed surfactants that form cubic liquid crystals lose these levels to micelle formation, due to the most efficient water insolubility. Cubosomes are naturally produced employing excessive-electricity dispersion of bulk cubic segment, observed through colloidal stabilization the usage of polymeric surfactants. One application of cubic section liquid crystals is the managed release of decided on water-oil soluble molecules (11-13). The emulsification of cubic lipid phases in water imports in the manufacturing of cubosomes that can be described as nanoparticle disperse systems characterized by excessive biocompatibility and bioadhesivity (14-16). Cubosomes are composed of lipids, surfactants, and polymer molecules, which have both polar and non-polar additives, termed as amphiphilic. The hydrophobic effect drives amphiphilic molecules in polar solvents to spontaneously self-assembling into a collection of thermodynamically strong liquid crystalline stages with lengths on the nanometer scale (17). Thus, cubosomes are bicontinuous cubic liquid segments surrounding two distinct regions of water separated through surfactant-managed bilayers. Bicontinuous cubic stages are optically isotropic, very viscous, and strong like liquid crystalline substance having cubic crystallographic symmetry. Cubosomes have extraordinary significance in nano-drug formulations (17-21). Structure of cubosomes The fundamental structure of cubosomes consists of honeycombed structures isolating the inner aqueous channels alongside the massive interfacial area. Cubosomes are nanoparticles, www.ijppr.humanjournals.com Citation: Inder Kumar et al. Ijppr.Human, 2020; Vol. 19 (3): 177-194. 179 greater correctly, nanostructure particles of liquid crystalline levels with cubic crystallographic symmetry formed through the self-meeting of amphiphilic or surfactant like molecules. The cubic levels own a completely excessive strong like viscosity that is a unique property because of their attractive bicontinuous structures, which enclose two wonderful areas of water, separated using a managed bilayer of surfactant application. Amphiphilic molecules from bicontinuous water and oil networks, where bicontinuous refers to two different (continuous, but non-intersecting) hydrophilic regions separated by means of the bilayer. The interconnectedness of the shape consequences in a clear viscous gel similar in appearance and rheology to go-related polymer hydrogels. Structure of cubosomes shown in Figure No. 1. (22)(4, 21, 23, 24). Figure No. 1: Structure of cubosomes Advantages of cubosomes 1. They may be prepared via an easy approach. 2. High drug payloads because of high inner surface location and cubic crystalline shapes. 3. Cubosomes particles as oil-in-water emulsion stabilizers and pollutant absorbents are applied in cosmetics. 4. Biodegradability of lipids. 5. The controlled release of a solubilized substance is the most popular application of cubosomes. A cubic phase is greater relevant for control release because of its small pore size (five-10nm). www.ijppr.humanjournals.com Citation: Inder Kumar et al. Ijppr.Human, 2020; Vol. 19 (3): 177-194. 180 6. The capability of encapsulating hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and amphiphilic materials. 7. Targeted release and controlled release of bioactive agents. 8. Cubosomes deal with the various challenges in oral transport of several promising compounds consisting of poor aqueous solubility, absorption, and massive molecular size(14, 24). Disadvantages of Cubosomes 1. Due to the presence of huge quantities of water in interior of cubosomes, there's low entrapment of water-soluble drugs. 2. Because of the high viscosity, the big scale production is now and then difficult. 3. Large scale production is hard for now and again because of high viscosity (24, 25).