Analytical methods for the control of liposomal delivery systems

Liposomal delivery systems (LDSs) are effective vehicles to incorporate active agents into compartmentalized structures, such as living cells and foods. The increasing interest in the use of these systems in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and nutritional industries is because liposomes can encapsulate and/or anchor water-soluble and/or lipid-soluble substances. Pharmaceutical formulations involving liposomes allow spatial and temporal distribution of the drug in the body to be changed, reducing unwanted toxic side effects and increasing efficiency of treatment. Analytical chemistry has an extensive role in the development of adequate methods to control the effectiveness of the numerous liposomal systems that have been developed recently, involving species such as therapeutic drugs, cosmetics, enzymes, and nucleic acids. This article provides an overview of the different applications of liposomes as carriers, and the advantages and the limitations of the analytical methods described to control their features and to determine their ingredients. (C)) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.