Title:Cubosomes: Versatile Nanosized Formulation for Efficient Delivery of
Therapeutics
Volume: 19
Issue: 6
Author(s): Keshav Singhal, Niranjan Kaushik and Amrish Kumar*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical & Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, India
Keywords:
Cubosomes, nanoparticulates, drug delivery, nanotechnology, targeted delivery, polymeric system.
Abstract: Cubosomes are bicontinuous cubic phase nanoparticles with a size range from 10-500
nm. They offer various advantages with some limitations at the production level, e.g., cubosomes
have the feature to encapsulate a large amount of the drug due to its large internal area owing to
cuboidal shape but limited in large scale production due to its high viscosity which is associated
with the problem in homogenization. This nanoparticulate formulation is compatible for administration
by various routes like oral, transdermal, topical, buccal, etc. The drug release mechanism from
cubosomes was reported to be dependent on the partition coefficient and diffusion process. Compared
with liposomes, cubosomes show many differences in various aspects like shape, size, ingredients,
and mode of action. The main ingredients for the preparation of cubosomes include lipids,
stabilizers, aqueous phase and therapeutic agents. Several methods have been reported for cubosomes,
including the top-down method, the bottom-up method and the adopted coarse method. For
the optimization of cubosomes, the key factors to be considered, which will affect the cubosomes
characteristics include the concentration of lipid, temperature and pH. At present, many research
groups are exploring the potential of cubosomes as biosensors and nanocarriers. Based on the latest
reports and research, this review illuminates the structure of the cubosomes, mechanism of the drug
release, different methods of preparation with factors affecting the cubosomes, application of cubosomes
in different sectors, differences from the liposomes, and their advantages.
