Ufasomes as Novel Fatty Acid-Based Vesicular Systems for Drug Delivery

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Ufasomes are biocompatible, self-assembling lipid-based drug carriers.
• They can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs effectively.
• Their potential in drug delivery and biomedical applications is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review ufasomes' structure, preparation, and stability.
• To examine their potential applications in drug delivery.
• To compare ufasomes with traditional vesicular systems and discuss recent formulation advancements.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across major scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) from 1973 to 2024.
• Keywords included "ufasomes", "fatty acid vesicles", and "lipid-based drug carriers".
• Studies focusing on preparation, characterization, stability, drug encapsulation, and pharmaceutical applications were included for descriptive and comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• Ufasomes demonstrate biodegradability, structural flexibility, and high drug entrapment efficiency (e.g., ~84% for clotrimazole).
• Vesicle sizes are typically below 250 nm, with enhanced stability and specificity in pH-sensitive and stimuli-responsive formulations.
• Challenges include vesicle instability, oxidative degradation, and difficulties in large-scale manufacturing.

Conclusions:

• Proposed strategies to overcome limitations include chemical crosslinking, antioxidant incorporation, and surfactant hybridization.
• Ufasomes offer superior adaptability and customizable formulations compared to conventional systems.
• Further research should focus on regulatory compliance, targeted delivery, and scalable GMP-aligned processes for clinical translation.