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AQUASOMES: A NOVEL DRUG DELIEVERY SYSTEMKeywords: Aquasomes , Self Assembling Carrier System , Nanoparticles , Oligomeric film Abstract: Aquasomes are one of the most recently developed delivery system for bioactive molecules like peptide,protein, hormones, antigens and genes to specific sites. Aquasomes are spherical in shape with 60–300nm particles size. These are nanoparticulate carrier systems but instead of being simple nanoparticlesthese are three layered self assembled structures, comprised of a solid phase nanocrystalline core coatedwith oligomeric film to which biochemically active molecules are adsorbed with or withoutmodification. These structures are self assembled by non-covalent and ionic bonds. The solid coreprovides the structural stability, while the carbohydrate coating protects against dehydration andstabilizes the biochemically active molecules. The delivery system has been successfully utilized for thedelivery of insulin, hemoglobin, and enzymes like serratiopeptidase etc. This reviews the principles ofself assembly, the challenges of maintaining the conformational integrity and biochemical activity ofimmobilized surface pairs, the convergence of these principles into a single functional composition andits application in various fields of pharmacy.
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