Proniosomes: a novel drug carrier preparation.

A procedure is described for producing a dry product which may be hydrated immediately before use to yield aqueous niosome dispersions similar to those produced by more cumbersome conventional methods. These 'proniosomes' minimize problems of niosome physical stability such as aggregation, fusion and leaking, and provide additional convenience in transportation, distribution, storage, and dosing. This report describes the preparation of dispersions of proniosome-derived niosomes, comparison of these niosomes to conventional niosomes, and optimization of proniosome formulations. In addition, conventional and proniosome-derived niosomes are compared in terms of their morphology, particle size, particle size distribution, and drug release performance in synthetic gastric or intestinal fluid. In all comparisons, proniosome-derived niosomes are as good or better than conventional niosomes.