Abstract

SURFACTANTS - THE ASTOUNDING NANOMATERIALS IN THE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Purushottam Ghosh*

Abstract

Nanotechnology can be defined as the technology which has allowed for the control, manipulation, and manufacture of materials in very small size range. Surfactants take on novel properties in micellization of biologically active substances that have low toxicity and high solubilization power towards poorly soluble pharmaceuticals to aid in large number of therapeutic protocols such as gene therapy, drug delivery, drug targeting. However, surfactants are used to reduce toxicity and side effects of drugs but this carrier systems impose various limitations like lack of target specificity, altered effects and diminished potency due to drug metabolism in the body, cytotoxicity of certain anti-carcinogenic pharmacological agents. Biocompatible surfactants with optimized physical, chemical and biological properties can serve to overcome the limitations faced in drug delivery systems by understanding the interactions of this nanomaterials with the biological environment, cell-surface receptors, drug releasing process and stability of the therapeutic agents. These newer generations of drug delivery systems have significant advantages over the other drug delivery systems. This article discusses the need for nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, their advantages, applications, classification and limitations of such drug delivery.

Keywords: Surfactant, nanomaterial, nanotechnology, nanoparticle, micellization, cytotoxicity.