Liposomes in drugs, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics

Liposomes are spherical vesicular structures formed by lipid bilayers with a hydrophilic internal nucleus. The size varies from about 20 nanometers to several micrometers. They were initially described in the sixties by the biophysicist Alec Bangham. Since then, multiple studies have been conducted to characterize them according to the number of layers: unilamellar, bilayers, multilamellar vesicles, and vesicles containing more vesicles called multivesicular vesosomes; size: between 0.025 µm and 2.5 µm, and functionality: Drug delivery system, cosmetic, nutraceutics. Moreover, there are several conventional and new methods for liposome preparation. For conventional liposomes, multiple technologies have been developed to enhance or impart specific characteristics, depending on the intended application of the liposomes, such as long-circulation liposomes, cationic liposomes, immunoliposomes, and specific stimulus-sensitive liposomes. In the medical field, liposomes are used in many routes of administration. Parenteral routes include most approved liposomal drugs; oral drugs have benefited from improved bioavailability. Pulmonary routes have emerged as an alternative to increase residence time and, therefore, therapeutic efficacy. Ocular routes are widely studied because liposomes are biodegradable and biocompatible. Nutraceuticals have emerged as an alternative or complementary therapy to treat many diseases, and liposomes enhance the bioavailability of these molecules. Liposomes also benefit the cosmetic industry by encapsulating substances, enhancing permeability, and enabling controlled release.

A bibliographic review was carried out by consulting databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and Nature. The keywords used were liposomes, liposomes and cosmetics, liposomes and cosmeceuticals, liposomes and nanotechnology, Transferosomes^®, Ethosomes, liposomes-modified vesicles, liposomes and nutraceuticals, liposomes and natural products. The search was conducted in both languages, English and Spanish, covering the period from 2010 to 2025, and included all records available during that time.

These vesicles have a particular scientific relevance in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic fields. They are promising vehicles or carriers for substances and compounds that are unstable under specific conditions and can be easily degraded or have undesirable taste and smell. However, despite their advantages, challenges remain, including low solubility, limited half-life, oxidation, and hydrolysis of the phospholipids that form their membranes, and elevated production costs.